Ondo Begins N3.82bn Gratuity Payment to 985 Retirees
By Staff Reporter
The Ondo State Government has commenced the payment of N3.82 billion in gratuities to 985 retired workers, covering beneficiaries from the 2020 batch as well as outstanding retirees from 2015 to 2019.
The payment, flagged off on Wednesday by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, is part of the administration’s effort to clear inherited gratuity liabilities owed to retired workers in the state.
The beneficiaries include 509 retirees from the 2020 batch and 476 retirees from the 2015–2019 batches, drawn from the mainstream civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as various state-owned parastatals.
Aiyedatiwa said his administration inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations dating back to 2015, stressing that the government had chosen to confront the liability rather than ignore it.
“When our Administration came to the saddle, we inherited billions of Naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date. We did not shy away from this burden. Rather, we confronted it with courage, responsibility and a clear understanding that governance is not only about initiating new projects; it is equally about confronting inherited challenges and resolving them,” the governor said.
According to him, the government had successfully settled outstanding gratuities for retirees from 2015 to 2019, while the commencement of payment to the 2020 batch represented another step towards eliminating the backlog.
“Today, we are taking another giant step forward with the flag-off of payment to retirees of the year 2020,” he said.
The governor also pledged that his administration would continue to work towards clearing inherited gratuity arrears before the end of his tenure.
Aiyedatiwa described the payment as more than a financial intervention, saying it represented recognition of the contributions and sacrifices of retired workers who served the state during their productive years.
“We remember your service; we respect your sacrifice; and we will not forget your entitlement,” he said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Pension Transition Office, Dr Peter Akingbade, said retirees from the 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B and 2020 Batch A were included in the current payment exercise.
Akingbade disclosed that some beneficiaries had already started receiving bank alerts, adding that the retirees would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments.
He said the development would provide relief and restore confidence among retired workers, attributing the payment to the governor’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens under the administration’s OUR EASE agenda.
The permanent secretary commended the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac, and the Head of Service, Sir Segun Odusanya, for their contributions to the implementation of the payment programme and the welfare of retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
Akingbade further disclosed that the gratuity payment process was continuous, urging retirees who were yet to complete verification to come forward and conclude their documentation.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Nike Ogunbodede thanked the governor for the payment, describing it as a significant development for retirees in the state.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, also commended the administration, saying Ondo State was among the leading states in the country in efforts to clear outstanding gratuity payments to retired workers.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya; members of the State Executive Council; labour leaders; permanent secretaries; political appointees and other government officials.
