Abiodun releases N2bn to pay deductions from workers’ wages

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Friday, released a sum of N2 billion for four months of the global cooperative deductions, as part of efforts to address the plight of workers and pensioners in the state.

Abiodun also promised to settle the rest of the deductions by releasing N1 billion quarterly until all the deductions made are defrayed.

He equally released N1 billion for state and local government pensioners’ gratuities.

The new gratuities is a 100 percent increment from the earlier quarterly payment of N500m he had earlier commenced last year.

Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ogun State branch, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, disclosed these at a press conference after a meeting between the leaders of Labour and Pensioner’s Unions and Governor Dapo Abiodun at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Lasisi also informed that Governor Abiodun had promised that promotion letters for 2018 will be fully implemented in early 2022, while promotion entitlements for 2019 will commence in March next year.

“We had a fruitful meeting with the governor today. This is a follow-up to other meetings we had before. In the meeting, we told the governor that workers are tensed up and restless due to the non-payment of their deductions and the governor agreed to do something about it.

“I am glad to inform you that he has directed the immediate release of N1bn for the payment of gratuities and that N1bn will be released on a quarterly basis for the pensioners. As of today, four months of global deductions has been paid and the governor also promised to do this on a quarterly basis,” he explained.

Also speaking, the State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Chief Waidi Oloyede, appreciated the state government for the gesture and lauded the governor for accepting to look into the monthly increment, saying that some of the pensioners collect as low as N5,000 as monthly pension.

Secretary of the pension union, Dr. Bola Lawal, in his contribution, said as a responsible union, its members would not embark on any form of protest without informing the government, noting that the last protest was done by an association and not his union as “there is a difference between an association and a union.”

State Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSON) and Chairman Joint Negotiations Committee, Comrade Isa Olude, called for a commitment on the part of the parties involved to build trust and avoid misunderstanding.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, reiterated government commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners who had served the state meritoriously in the past.

Odusile noted that the government was not unmindful of the plight of workers and would not willingly deny them their rights and entitlements.

 

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