A philanthropic group known as Oluwafemi Oparinde Foundation has distributed N50,000 to 1,000 retirees in Kwara state.
The gesture took place at an event tagged ‘Support for senior citizens.’
The founder of the foundation, Femi Oparinde, revealed that the group gifted N50,000 each to 1,000 retirees, alongside free medical outreach.
He explained that those who had dedicated their lives to public service deserve honour.
“Retirement should not mean abandonment. These individuals have given their best years to the growth of our society, and we must ensure they are not left to suffer,” Oparinde stated.
Oparinde, who spoke to The Nation at the end of the event, said that “our target was 1,000 beneficiaries. But as it is, we have recorded over 2,500. There is nothing we can do. We can not send them back. We will try to accommodate them. But they should appreciate the gesture no matter how small.”
Since its establishment in 2020, the foundation has expanded its humanitarian efforts beyond COVID-19 relief to include education, entrepreneurship, and support for vulnerable groups. The latest outreach, Oparinde noted, reinforces the need for collective responsibility in caring for retirees.
Guest speaker at the event, and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo charged governments at different levels to ensure timely payment of gratuities and pensions to retirees.
Akogun Oyedepo therefore condemned delayed pension payment, noting that frequent payment of pensioners’ entitlements would foster the development small businesses in the state.
Chairman of the state National Union of Pensioners (NUP), Alhaji Saidu Oladimeji extolled the philanthropic gestures, advising the state government to improve in terms of prompt pension payment and introduce more life-easing programmes for senior citizens.
