April 2006
NigerianNews
Letter to the
Editor
April 26, 2006
Dear Editor,
Inhumane process
by
Adetokunbo O. Lucas, OFR, MD, DSc, FRCP, FFPH, FRCOG Adjunct
Professor, Harvard University
I wish to draw your attention to the gross abuse of Nigerian
pensioners in the course of the verification exercise.
I retired as professor of Preventive and Social Medicine form Ibadan
about 30 years ago. Two days ago, I attended the verification process
for pensioners at Trenchard Hall on 19 April. It was very painful to
see how people who had served the university well were treated with
callous indifference:
- Pensioners were instructed to arrive at 8 am
- The exercise started at about 10.30 am
- The scanning process began after 4 pm and so no pensioner
completed the process before 6 pm and many had to wait much longer.
- No special arrangements were made for severely disabled and
handicapped pensioners
It was very distressing to see former Principal Officers of the
institution being harassed and ill treated by some of the staff who
came to do the scanning. The pensioners received little protection
from University of Ibadan staff. Frail elderly on wheelchairs, or
carried like babies on the backs of family members were obliged to
stay through this long process (over 9 hours) and were from time to
time shouted on by these external agents. A frail old man who had been
waiting for over 9 hours who wanted to empty his bladder was advised
by relatives to do it there and then as there were no facilities for
helping him!
This photograph shows one of the most "friendly" gestures by the
person who was in charge of the scanning as he yelled and railed at
elderly, infirm pensioners. I hope that when my children and
grandchildren reach my age, they will not be subjected to such
indignities.
Please feel free to contact me for further information.
Editor's Note:
Sir, your experience is very movingly awful for one
who had served his country as diligently as you had. Please let us
know what further action we can take either collectively or otherwise
so that these things do not happen again!
Editor,
NigerianNews
