Retired Lagos Council Chief Cries Out Over Unpaid Benefits After 30 Years, Says ‘I Can’t Afford My Medicines’

After three decades in public service, a retired senior official of Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Michael Olawale Odesanya, says he is struggling to survive because his retirement benefits have not been paid.

Odesanya, who is physically challenged, retired in 2026 after joining the Local Government Service Commission on July 4, 1996. He rose from Admin Officer to Chief Admin Officer and eventually headed Administration and Human Resources before leaving service.

Speaking about his experience, Odesanya said retirement had given him a personal understanding of the difficulties faced by many Nigerian retirees waiting for their entitlements. He described the situation as a major problem within the state’s public service and questioned why workers should face prolonged delays after contributing throughout their careers.

The retired official said government employers know when their workers are due to retire and should make adequate preparations for the payment of their benefits. He also questioned why pension and other deductions could be made regularly during service, yet retirees are left waiting for their money after leaving employment.

Odesanya said the financial pressure is particularly serious for retirees with medical needs. As a person living with a disability, he said he requires medicines and supplements that are not always available at government hospitals, with some having to be specially ordered or imported.

“Where do you have the money for such supplements now?” he asked, highlighting the difficulty of meeting those costs without his retirement benefits.

He also blamed bureaucratic delays for the situation, saying he was informed that some documents were missing from his retirement records. Odesanya disputed this, insisting that he had kept his documents properly while serving in human resources and had since resubmitted the three documents requested, with copies showing they were received and acknowledged.

He said officials have continued to cite pending approvals as a reason for the delay. Odesanya also pointed to planned protests by pensioners in Alausa, saying many retirees remain frustrated despite reports that funds have been released to address outstanding arrears.

“So why should it not now be government, the Alpha and Omega, treating retirees the way they are treating me?” he asked, appealing to the authorities to release the benefits owed to retirees and end the delays.