The Ondo State Government has commenced the payment of N3.897 billion in gratuities to 1,038 retirees from the Local Government Service and primary school teachers and non-teaching staff who retired in 2016.
Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa , on Thursday at the official flag-off of the disbursement in Akure, described the payment as a fulfilment of the government’s moral, constitutional and statutory obligation to retired workers.
The governor said that gratuity was neither a favour nor a political gift but an earned entitlement for years of dedicated service to the state.
“We hold this moment very dearly as we gather to put smiles on the faces of our senior citizens who dedicated the most productive part of their lives to the development of Ondo State.
“This payment is not a favour, neither is it a gift nor political largesse. It is an earned right and a moral and constitutional obligation that the state owes you,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa expressed sympathy for retirees who died before receiving their gratuities and assured their families that their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
According to him, the N3,897,315,605.75 being disbursed will be paid directly into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and eliminate extortion or undue interference by government officials.
He urged retirees whose names were not included in the current batch to remain patient.
The governor assured them that the administration was committed to clearing all outstanding gratuity arrears for both state and local government retirees.
The governor said the administration remained determined to ensure that gratuity backlog became a thing of the past in line with its “OUR EASE” development agenda.
He also announced that the government had introduced a special healthcare package for senior citizens under the ORANGHIS Scheme to provide free medical services for retirees.
Aiyedatiwa encouraged eligible pensioners to enrol in the programme and cooperate with officials to benefit from the initiative.
He advised beneficiaries to make prudent use of the funds, warning them against fraudulent investment schemes and individuals who prey on retirees.
The governor further disclosed that the Local Government Pension Transitional Department had introduced an online processing platform through its official website to enable pensioners complete retirement documentation from any location without visiting the office.
He said the innovation was designed to make the process easier for retirees while eliminating extortion and other unethical practices.
The state Commissioner for Local Government and Cheiftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro said that the governor was committed to the betterment of people of the state.
Takuro said that the governor had not converted the money to build infrastructure but chose to build human being and at the same time not neglecting infrastructure.
The commissioner enjoined the retirees to continue to pray for the governor and support his agenda in turning the state into a desired wish in line with improved welfare and well-being of people.
Appreciating the gesture, the state Chairman of Nigerian Union of Pensioners ( NUP), Elder Johnson Osunyemi, said that the state was lucky to have the current governor.
Osunyemi added that the state had become a pride among pensioners across the country.
He lauded the governor for exhibiting human feeling in attending to welfare and well-being of people in the state.