Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Thursday flagged off the payment of N3.897 billion gratuity to 1,038 verified retirees of the Local Government Service and Primary School Teachers and Non-Teaching Staff who retired in 2016.
The payment, totalling N3,897,315,605.75, is the fifth batch of the bulk payment of gratuities to local government retirees and primary school teachers and was flagged off in Akure.
Aiyedatiwa said the payment was neither a favour, gift nor political largesse, but a moral and constitutional obligation owed the retirees for their years of service.
The governor said the funds would be transferred directly into the beneficiaries’ accounts as part of measures to ensure transparency and prevent gratification or the use of personal connections to access their entitlements.
He said the payment was intended to put smiles on the faces of senior citizens who dedicated their most productive years to the development of Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa acknowledged that some senior citizens retired into penury while others died without enjoying the fruits of their labour, assuring their surviving families that their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
He urged retirees not captured in the latest batch to remain calm, assuring them that his administration is determined to clear the gratuity backlogs for retirees in both the State and Local Government Services.
“We stand by our unwavering commitment to ensuring that ‘gratuity backlog’ becomes a thing of the past.
“We are determined like never before to fulfil this promise to all our retirees both in the State and Local Government,” he said.
He also disclosed that a special programme under the ORANGHIS Scheme had been designed to cater for the health needs of senior citizens at no cost, urging them to take advantage of it.
While appreciating the retirees for their patience, trust and perseverance, the governor urged them to use the funds prudently and avoid speculative and high-risk investments.
He also warned them against fraudsters targeting retirees, advising them to prioritise their health, peace of mind and household comfort.
The governor further disclosed that the Local Government Pension Transitional Department had introduced an online capturing system through its official website.
He said the innovation would enable pensioners anywhere in the world to process their retirement papers without visiting the department or having physical contact with officials.
In his address, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, commended Aiyedatiwa for prioritising human welfare alongside infrastructure development.
“Building infrastructure without building human beings is nothing,” Takuro said.
Takuro said the gratuity payment had progressed from 2010 through 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, noting that clearing the backlog involving billions of naira was not an easy task.
The commissioner added that the governor had directed that another payment exercise must be conducted before the end of the year, describing the directive as significant.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, commended the governor for prioritising pensioners’ welfare and ensuring payment of their benefits.
Osunyemi, who described himself as one of the longest-serving NUP chairmen in Nigeria, said pensioners in some states were still denied pensions, gratuities and other benefits.
He said Aiyedatiwa had strengthened pensioners in Ondo State and demonstrated compassion for pensioners, adding that it took “the heart of a man of God” to do so.
He assured the governor of pensioners’ continued support.
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