Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, brought joy to retirees on Saturday by distributing gratuity cheques totaling N3.5 billion during this year’s Pensioners’ Day celebration at the Great Eagle Hall, Ado Ekiti.
Over 500 pensioners benefitted, with state pensioners receiving N2.3 billion and local government pensioners getting N1.2 billion.
Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to clearing outstanding gratuity has progressed significantly, bringing the backlog up to March 2015, a marked improvement from the 2012 payment he inherited upon taking office in October 2022.
The gesture was met with loud applause from the retirees, who expressed their appreciation and support for the Governor, dubbing him a “pensioners-friendly” and “elders-friendly” leader.
The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to implement the new minimum wage of N70,000, although he noted some delays due to the need to capture pensioners, teachers, and local government workers in the process.
In his speech, Governor Oyebanji emphasized the importance of treating retirees with respect, stating, “Whatever we are doing for you is not a favor; it’s your right because you worked for it.”
He confirmed that he had approved one month of the three months’ arrears owed to local government pensioners and assured ongoing payments to the retirees.
To date, the Oyebanji administration has paid a total of N5.4 billion to 1,796 state pensioners and N2.18 billion to 891 local government pensioners.
The Governor called for continued prayers from the retirees for his administration’s success and pledged to keep paying their gratuities.
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He commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting Ekiti State and acknowledged the contributions of the Commissioner for Finance, Akintunde Oyebode, in managing the state’s finances effectively.
Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji urged pensioners to register for the State Health Insurance Scheme to access free health services, highlighting that only 9,028 out of the 28,000 eligible pensioners have registered so far.
During the event, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ekiti State Chapter, Joel Akinola, praised Governor Oyebanji for prioritizing retirees’ welfare.
He highlighted various initiatives, including timely pension payments and additional monthly allowances.
NUP National President Godwin Abumhese noted that Governor Oyebanji has set a precedent for other Southwest governors regarding pensioners’ welfare and announced plans for a visit to commend him for fulfilling his electoral promises to pensioners.