Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has commenced the payment of N3.897bn in gratuities to 1,038 local government workers and primary school teachers who retired in 2016.
Aiyedatiwa flagged off the payment on Thursday at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office in Akure, the state capital.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Information, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Famakinwa Abooulwa, and made available to journalists on Friday.
The governor said the payment was not a favour or political gesture but an obligation to workers who had served the state.
He said the money would be paid directly into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
“The payment is intended to put smiles on the faces of our senior citizens who dedicated their most productive years to the development of Ondo State.
“Some senior citizens retired into penury while others died without enjoying the fruits of their labour; I want to assure their surviving families that their sacrifices would not be forgotten,” he said.
The governor said retirees who were not included in the latest batch should remain patient, adding that his administration was committed to clearing the gratuity backlog for both state and local government retirees.
“We stand by our unwavering commitment to ensuring that ‘gratuity backlog’ becomes a thing of the past. We are determined like never before to fulfil this promise to all our retirees both in the state and local government,” he stated.
Aiyedatiwa also said the administration’s health insurance initiative, the Ondo State Residents Health Insurance Scheme, known as ORANGHIS, was designed to provide healthcare for senior citizens at no cost.
He urged the retirees to use their gratuities wisely and avoid speculative or high-risk investments.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, said the payment of gratuities had progressed from retirees from 2010 through 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Takuro said clearing the backlog, which involved billions of naira, was not an easy task.
The Head of Service, Segun Odusanya, also commended the governor for prioritising the welfare of serving and retired public workers.
Aiyedatiwa begins N3.9bn gratuity payment to 1,038 LG retirees
