Lagos, Nigeria – A physically challenged retired senior administrator with the Lagos State local government system has broken down in tears over the non-payment of his gratuity and pension several months after leaving service, describing his post-retirement life as one of hardship and forced dependence on others.
Michael Odesanya, 60, who served for 30 years and retired on March 13, 2026, as Head of Administration and Human Resources at Kosofe Local Government, said neither his gratuity nor pension has been paid despite completing all required documentation.
Odesanya, who lives with the effects of polio contracted in early childhood, joined the Lagos State Civil Service on July 4, 1996. He rose to the rank of Chief Administrative Officer on Grade Level 14. He worked across several local government areas and Local Council Development Areas, including Somolu, Onigbongbo, Ikorodu West and Kosofe.
In an interview detailing his ordeal, Odesanya said he expected retirement to mark a peaceful new chapter after decades of dedicated service. His farewell ceremony at Kosofe Local Government, which coincided with his 60th birthday, was colourful and attended by the council chairman, Moyosore Ogunlewe, the council manager and colleagues. He received some cash gifts that helped him renovate parts of his house in Ikorodu.
However, the joy quickly faded. “Honestly, it has been extremely difficult; life without gratuity feels like living in hell,” he said. “The pension has not started coming, and neither the gratuity nor any other retirement benefits have been paid. The Pension Commission has not contacted me; my file has not even moved properly.”
Odesanya, who was responsible for processing staff retirement files while in service, said he personally prepared and submitted his documentation to the Local Government Service Commission for onward transmission to the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC).
Months later, he was informed that his file and those of other retirees had been returned unprocessed, with fresh demands for additional Pension Fund Administrator and bank statements.
He said explanations linking the delay to the non-appointment of new commissioners or the departure of experienced permanent secretaries did not make sense, as retirement processing should continue regardless of political or administrative changes.
Married with four children, Odesanya said the sudden loss of his monthly salary has left him struggling to meet basic family needs. “I have a wife and four children; people eat every day. Bills never stop because someone has retired,” he lamented. He recalled a particularly painful moment when he could barely afford his youngest daughter’s school end-of-year party contribution of N25,000, which was eventually reduced to N20,000 by a sympathetic principal.
“Today, I jokingly describe myself as an executive beggar because circumstances have pushed me into seeking help from friends and relatives,” 0 “I have always hated begging. That is painful.”
As a person living with disability, Odesanya noted that delayed benefits hit harder because of limited mobility and the physical demands of repeatedly travelling from Ikorodu to government offices in Alausa to follow up on his file.
He called on the Lagos State Government, under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to prioritise the prompt processing of retirement entitlements, especially for retirees with disabilities, stressing that such payments are a right earned through years of service and not a favour.
Odesanya’s case highlights ongoing challenges faced by some retirees in the state’s local government service under the contributory pension scheme, even as the Lagos State Government has publicly stated that it has paid substantial sums in accrued rights and continues to prioritise pension obligations.
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