Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Monday commenced the payment of N1.4 billion backlog gratuity of workers who retired from the local government and primary school system in 2014.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Akure, Aiyedatiwa described the gesture as a continuation of the bulk gratuity payment aimed at clearing the backlog of unpaid entitlements of the retirees.
He explained that the disbursement followed his administration’s structured payment process.
Said he: “I started this even when I was Deputy Governor. I presented a case to the then Governor, which he approved for us and we started that initiative of saving money.
“Periodically, any time we have an allocation that is good enough, we put some money aside to settle the gratuities of our retirees. This will continue now that we are fully in charge as Governor.
“This exercise being undertaken today is in line with our payment process, which has the year of exit from public service as the only factor for qualification for payment.
“We thank God Almighty for enabling us to restore hope to our pensioners, who before now had lost hope of ever being paid their gratuity in full after meritorious service to the state and humanity in general.
“The bulk payment for the 2014 set of pensioners we are flagging off today further demonstrates our commitment to the welfare of the elderly and vulnerable sections of our population, in line with this administration’s policy thrust.
“Our desire to adopt and consistently apply the year of exit as the sole qualification for bulk payment is to make the process transparent and predictable and to ensure no one is discriminated against.”
The governor added that the bulk payments for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 sets under his administration were unprecedented in the history of the state.
“Today, we are exiting 2014, and very soon, we will exit 2015, and so on, until everybody is cleared.
“Since our assumption of office, we have paid serious and deliberate attention to the welfare of pensioners in Ondo State.
“The state is one of the few in Nigeria to grant an upward review of a flat rate of ₦30,000 to pensioners, to cushion the effect of the global economic meltdown affecting Nigeria.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa maintained that the government does not consider the prompt payment of pension allowances as an achievement but as a moral and constitutional duty.
He said, “Most times, we feel reluctant to list prompt payment of pension allowances and consequential adjustments as achievements, because payment of monthly pensions to our senior citizens is our obligation. However, when we compare the current period with times when pensions were paid in percentages and fractions, there is reason to celebrate.”
The governor noted that the current disbursement would rekindle hope among pensioners and reassure serving workers that their gratuities would be promptly paid after retirement.
He commended the cooperation between the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Local Government Pension Transitional Department, describing their partnership as vital to the success of the state’s pension initiative.
Speaking on behalf of the Head of Service, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Adeniran Ikuomola, commended the governor for his compassion and prioritisation of pensioners’ welfare despite other pressing developmental needs.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, praised the governor for introducing the pension savings initiative, noting that it has made regular savings for gratuity payments possible.
The Chairman of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), Johnson Osunyemi, who spoke on behalf of the pensioners, lauded the governor for restoring dignity to retirees and rekindling their hope.
