Speaking during presentation of cheques to beneficiaries in Ilorin on Wednesday, the state commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Alhaji Aliyu Kora, said that the payment was made from N3.5 billion SURE-P refund from the federal government.
The commissioner also said that traditional rulers in the state would benefit from the N3.5 billion SURE-P refund, including local government workers, SUBEB and capital projects.
Alhaji Kora, who appealed to other categories of pensioners from 2011 down to exercise patience on payment of their gratuity, said that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, on assumption of office, commenced prompt payment of salaries, pension and continuous release of funds for gratuity payments.
The commissioner, who said that government is a continuum, both in asset and liability, added that the present administration inherited humongous arrears running into several billions of naira, ranging from gratuities to pensions and arrears of salary payments.
“Distinguished Senior Citizens, you are all aware of the pathetic situation the present administration met on ground most especially the local government administration where salaries, pension and gratuity payments were not assured and even when they were paid it’s usually amputated (Geri- Gedi),” he said.
He assured the general public that justice and fair play would be followed till the last person picked up his or her cheque.
Also speaking, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Hon. Saidu Oladimeji, appreciated the state government on the payment of the gratuity, saying that pensioners were not owed pensions in the state, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NUP chairman, who described his members as a vulnerable group, appealed to the state government to factor them into payment of consequential adjusted as applicable to serving workers in the civil service.
“We’re vulnerable people. Some of us are deaf. Some have failed sight, while others easily fall ill when they sit or stand too much. We’re Oliver Twist. We want government to give us consequential adjustment as being paid to workers in the state civil service”.
The highlight of the event was the screening of eligible pensioners before they were presented with their cheques.