The payment landed on Thursday at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor's Office in Akure. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa flagged off the distribution of ₦3.897 billion in gratuities to 1,038 retired local government workers and primary school teachers, a group that had been waiting since 2016.
Famakinwa Abooulwa, Director of Information at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, announced the development in a statement. The beneficiaries left service in 2016 and have spent nearly a decade waiting for their retirement benefits.
Aiyedatiwa was direct about the reasoning behind the payout. He said the payment was not a favour or a political move but a responsibility owed to workers who spent years serving the state. The money will go 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," the governor said.
"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."
Aiyedatiwa handed over ceremonial documents during the flag-off. He also addressed retirees who were not part of the current batch, asking them to remain patient. His administration, he said, was working towards clearing the backlog of unpaid gratuities owed to both state and local government retirees.
"We stand by our unwavering commitment to ensuring that 'gratuity backlog' becomes a thing of the past," he stated. "We are determined like never before to fulfil this promise to all our retirees both in the state and local government."
The governor also pointed to the Ondo State Residents Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS), saying it was created to provide free healthcare access for senior citizens in the state. He advised the retirees to manage their gratuities carefully and avoid risky investments that could wipe out their money.
Amidu Takuro, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, laid out the scope of the effort. The gratuity payment process has moved through different retirement years, covering beneficiaries from 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and now 2016.
Takuro acknowledged that clearing the backlog, which runs into billions of naira, has been a major challenge. He said progress was being made.
Segun Odusanya, the Head of Service, praised the governor for focusing on the welfare of both serving and retired public workers.
For many of the retirees, the payment is relief after years of waiting for money earned from decades of public service. Some of their former colleagues never lived to see the day.
According to Pulse.ng.
