Osun govt releases N200m for payment of gratuities

THE Osun Government says it has released N200 million to settle part of the outstanding gratuities due to the 2011/2012 retirees in the state.

Mr Sola Fasure, the media adviser to Gov. Rauf Aregbesola,  said this on Thursday in Osogbo in a statement released after the State Executive Council meeting.

Fasure said that the 2,006 retirees that were expected to benefit from the money would receive N100,000 each on ‘first come, first served’ basis.

He listed the beneficiaries to include 801 high school teachers, 704 civil servants and 501 others from parastatal agencies.

Fasure said that the payment would commence on February 26

He also said that all retirees from local governments, elementary schools and middle schools would have their entitlements settled in instalments from Feb.  26.

Fasure said that the state government also released  N1 billion for the payment of 142 pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The governor’s aide said that among the beneficiaries were 100 high school teachers, 30 retirees from MDAs and 12 others from parastatal agencies.

He further said that the council had dispelled the rumour that the state government was collecting fees in public schools in the state.

According to him, the government is only charging students and pupils maintenance levies in the new state-of-the-art elementary, middle and high schools in the state.

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“Elementary school pupils are required to pay N2,000; middle school pupils, N3,000; and high school pupils N6,000 maintenance levy every academic session.

“Nevertheless, a flat rate of N1,500 education trust levy is required from every pupil in public and private schools in the state every academic session,“ Fasure said.