About two weeks ago, I was seated in a group of about six to seven people when an elderly man approached us to beg for financial assistance. One or two members of the group responded, and afterward, a discussion ensued about what could lead a senior citizen to resort to begging.
“He failed to plan for old age,” one said.
“He was lavish in his youth,” another added.
“Maybe he has been poor all his life,” a third suggested.
Everyone had a theory about the man’s condition. Soon, the conversation expanded into a critique of how many Nigerians neglect to plan for old age while sacrificing everything for their children — and how society and government consistently fail to care for its elderly.
The Wisdom of Experience
One of the oldest members of the group, a man likely in his 70s who we called Pa Alade (surname withheld), had the most profound insights.
“What the eyes of an elder saw that made them hollow — if the eyes of a child should see them, they will go blind,” he began.
He challenged our assumptions.
“The man who begged might not be suffering because he was wasteful. His story may have nothing to do with poverty in youth. It might simply be the aftermath of training his children — who may have forgotten his sacrifices.”
Pa Alade shared his personal story, and what followed was both sobering and enlightening.
A Life of Sacrifice
“I trained my children through school with my salary as a secondary school teacher and cooperative loans. They grew up, married, and focused on their own families. They only sent money occasionally. I didn’t blame them — marriage tightens one’s finances.”
He recounted how, after retiring in 2010, he used his NUT savings to finish his house and started a small printing business with a computer, printer, and photocopier. However, erratic power supply quickly killed the business.
“I had to support my daughter through school and manage life with no steady income. That was when I truly experienced what pensioners go through. My eyes saw ‘sege metala’.”
The Pension Nightmare
Throughout 2010 and 2011, Pa Alade didn’t receive his gratuity or pension. Alongside other retirees, he joined the political movement against then-Governor Christopher Alao-Akala, pinning hopes on the emergence of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
“We thought things would change, but it was the same story. Irregular pensions. Endless verifications. Queuing for hours under the sun. Fractional payments. Piling arrears. That was our reality under Ajimobi.”
“If you had seen me then, I was no better than the beggar who just walked away.”
Then he paused — and taught us all a lesson:
“The point is: prepare for old age.”
A Turnaround Under Governor Makinde
As a journalist — and more importantly, as someone who serves in Governor Makinde’s administration — I asked Pa Alade a pointed question:
“But what about now, Baba? Are pensioners still suffering under Governor Makinde?”
What followed was an eruption of praise and emotion.
“Ah, a o le fi iku we oorun! How can anyone compare Seyi Makinde’s government to Ajimobi’s? From the moment Seyi became governor in 2019, pensions have been paid same day as workers’ salaries.”
“We get everything the workers get — 13th-month salaries, Christmas bonuses, even a monthly wage award. While workers got N25,000, we pensioners got N15,000 monthly for over a year. Some of us were earning less than N9,000 before!”
Pa Alade shared that his pension rose from N33,000 to N48,000 with the wage award, and in January 2025, it jumped to over N80,000 following Governor Makinde’s approval of a N25,000 minimum pension and additional adjustments.
“We once had a governor who described us as ‘dead people.’ But Seyi has raised us from the dead. We no longer wait for our children to feed us. Now, I just want to eat and stay healthy — and Governor Makinde has made that possible.”
A Thank You from the People
Having scored my political point in front of my APC friends, I revealed my identity to Pa Alade — a Special Assistant to Governor Makinde. He was overwhelmed with joy and launched into fervent prayers for the governor.
“Please tell him thank you,” he said, echoing the gratitude of countless pensioners and workers across Oyo State.
And so I deliver this message through this platform:
“Ti eegun eni ba mo jo, ori a maa ya to’kun.”
— If your masquerade knows how to dance, the drummer will play with joy.
Governor Seyi Makinde, this is from your people. Thank you.
●Moses Alao is the Special Assistant (Print Media) to Governor Seyi Makinde.
