Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Tuesday, assured workers and pensioners in the state that all backlogs of gratuity arrears and outstanding monthly pension owed by the state government would be paid before the end of December 2021.
Akeredolu who stated this in Akure, the state capital, during the celebration of this year’s Pensioners’ Day said the state government would use the bailout promised by the Federal Government to pay salaries and pensions.
The governor who was represented by the Head of Service, Pastor John Adeyemo, said his administration will continue to give priority to the welfare of the pensioners and workers in the state, maintaining that three months arrears of the pension would be paid before the end of 2021.
He explained that the COVID-19 pandemic and other subsequent variants affected the finances of the state and had an adverse effect on regular and full payment of salaries and pension on the state.
He said “The Present Administration considers you as very important stakeholders and contributors to the development of Ondo State public Service, this Informed the decision of my administration to resuscitate the annual celebration of Pensioners Day in Ondo State in the year 2018 after many years of abandonment.
“At the inception of our Administration In 2017, pensioners in Ondo State were In a state of total despondency occasioned by the backlog of Seven Months of unpaid pensions and gratuities. In my determination to translate my electoral promises to actions, I put in place necessary machinery for the release of over N7.2billion for the part payment of backlog of unpaid gratuity and 6 months out of the 7 months’ pension arrears inherited in 2017.
“In addition, my Government is one of the first States in Nigeria to commence the implementation of the payment of N30,000.00 National Minimum Wages.”
Speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunday Adeleye stated that the series of negotiations between the union and the state government paid off hence, the payment of the three months pension.
The pensioners while talking about their challenges before the state government, disclosed that most of their members who retired since 2011 from the local government service were yet to be paid their gratuity while those within the state civil service had not been paid since 2013.
The NUP State Chairman, Hon Johnson Osunyemi, said the government should expedite action in the payment of eight months arrears of the monthly pensions of for the State and over six months for Local Governments’ pensioners.
Osunyemi who commended Akeredolu for being the first governor in the South-West to approved the implementation of the 33 per cent pension increase in 2020, canvassed for online verification for pensioners across the state in order against what he described as tedious manual verification.
He said: “We passionately appeal to Mr Governor to assuage our sufferings by implementing the payment of arrears of our monthly pensions of 8 and 6½ months for the State and Local Governments’ pensioners respectively
“Implementing the consequential pension increase arising from the 2019 minimum wage increase and consequential salary adjustment. Paying arrears of 15 per cent pension harmonization to Local Government pensioners which has been paid to State Pensioners since 2012 but are yet to be paid to Local Government Pensioners.”
“The mode of verifications of pensioners should be reviewed so as to reduce the hardship they go through during the exercises. We wish to profer a more holistic approach to future verification of pensioners by adopting online verification where our aged pensioners can be verified from the comfort of their homes without being subjected to the discomfort of the present system of verification.”
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Pension: We’ll clear all outstanding payments soon ― Akeredolu
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