The Edo State Government has commenced the payment of gratuities to teachers and local government workers who retired in 2012, bringing relief to pensioners who have waited for their entitlements for more than a decade.
The development follows the approval and release of N1 billion by the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, for the settlement of gratuities owed to the affected retirees.
Chairman of the Local Government Staff Pension Bureau, Kabiru Adjoto, said the payment represents the first tranche of gratuities for retired teachers and local government workers.
Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, Adjoto commended Governor Okpebholo for what he described as the administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and retirees in the state.
Adjoto, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, said the governor has shown strong political will in addressing long-standing challenges affecting pensioners and retirees.
He also appreciated the retirees for their patience and understanding over the years despite the delay in the payment of their entitlements.
“It is pertinent to note that the payment of gratuities being addressed will capture retirees from 2012 and other outstanding sets,” he said.
“This responsibility comes with a significant financial burden on government due to the increasing number of retirees and the consequential financial strain arising from successive minimum wage increases.
“Despite these challenges, the present administration has remained resolute in its determination to ensure that those who served the state meritoriously are not forgotten and that their legitimate entitlements are progressively settled.
“Let me therefore assure our retirees and the general public that with the renewed commitment of the present administration under the SHINE Agenda, the process of gratuity payment will henceforth be more regular and systematic than what was previously obtainable. Administrative work is currently ongoing, and deserving beneficiaries will be invited to collect their cheques in the coming days.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Local Government Retirees, Mike Olekiale, urged the state government to sustain the payments in order to ease the hardship faced by pensioners.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Claudiette Ehanire, said local government retirees require a dedicated bureau to properly oversee their welfare.
“We are happy but not completely satisfied because we have been neglected for too long. The governor has put smiles on our faces, but we want a bureau in charge of local government pensioners.
“We want the governor to appoint somebody to oversee it,” she said.
