…Says clearing backlog of pension debts a moral obligation

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Wednesday flagged off the payment of N3.82 billion in gratuities to 985 retirees of the Ondo State public service, stressing his administration’s effort to clear inherited pension liabilities.

The beneficiaries drawn from the mainstream civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching staff, and parastatals across the state comprise 509 retirees from the 2020 batch and 476 outstanding beneficiaries from the 2015–2019 batches.

Speaking at the Cocoa Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, and Aiyedatiwa described the exercise as “a debt of honor being discharged” to those who devoted their productive years to the service of the Sunshine State.

According to the governor, his administration inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date.

“When our administration came to the saddle, we inherited billions of Naira in outstanding gratuity. 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,” he stated.

Aiyedatiwa said his administration had successfully defrayed outstanding gratuities for 2015 to 2019, describing the exercise as “another giant step forward.”

“Today, we are taking another giant step forward with the flag-off of payment to retirees of the year 2020. We give all glory to Almighty God for the grace and enablement to fulfill this important obligation,” he added.

The governor emphasized that the exercise was not only a financial intervention but also a demonstration of his administration’s appreciation of those who had devoted their productive years to the service of the state.

“We remember your service, we respect your sacrifice, and we will not forget your entitlement,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transition Office, Dr. Peter Akingbade, disclosed that retirees from the 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B, and 2020 Batch A were being paid and were already receiving bank alerts.

Akingbade said the beneficiaries would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments, describing the development as a milestone that would bring relief, dignity, and renewed hope to retirees.

The Permanent Secretary said the gratuity payment process is continuous, urging retirees yet to be verified to come forward and complete their documentation.

The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, hailed the governor, stating that the state is among the leading states in the country in clearing the backlog of gratuities owed to retired workers.