Pensioners turn to begging in Oyo – The Nation

Irregular payment of monthly stipends, which has worsened the poverty situation among pensioners, has forced many of them to take to begging in Oyo town, Oyo State.

Neither the state government nor any of the four local governments in Oyo Federal Constituency has put in place a social security system for their retirees, let alone the aged. Most of the poverty reduction programmes of these tiers of government have nothing for the aged, except for women and young adults who are often found to be mainly loyalists of the political party in power.

Most of the pensioners, despite their long years of service to the nation, are fighting to collect their entitlements.

It was gathered that as the cost of living grows, their earnings remain low, thus worsening their living conditions.

Many of them now depend on families, particularly their children; others live on subsistence farming and charity from neighbours.

The Nation learnt that many of thee pensioners receive insufficient and sometimes no support from the children they look up to, especially when things become hard for such dependants. These old people then take to begging on the street.

Pensioners turn to begging in Oyo – The Nation

Irregular payment of monthly stipends, which has worsened the poverty situation among pensioners, has forced many of them to take to begging in Oyo town, Oyo State.

Neither the state government nor any of the four local governments in Oyo Federal Constituency has put in place a social security system for their retirees, let alone the aged. Most of the poverty reduction programmes of these tiers of government have nothing for the aged, except for women and young adults who are often found to be mainly loyalists of the political party in power.

Most of the pensioners, despite their long years of service to the nation, are fighting to collect their entitlements.

It was gathered that as the cost of living grows, their earnings remain low, thus worsening their living conditions.

Many of them now depend on families, particularly their children; others live on subsistence farming and charity from neighbours.