Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has commenced the disbursement of N3.897bn owed as gratuities to 1,038 retired local government employees and primary school teachers.
The beneficiaries are retirees from 2016, with the payment formally launched on Thursday at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office in Akure.
A statement signed by the Director of Information, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Famakinwa Abooulwa, and released to journalists on Friday, confirmed the development.
Aiyedatiwa explained that the latest payment was part of the government’s responsibility to workers who had served the state and should not be viewed as a political favour.
He added that each beneficiary would receive the money directly through their bank account.
“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 appealed to retirees who were not captured in the current disbursement to exercise patience, assuring them that efforts were ongoing to settle the outstanding gratuities owed to retired workers at both state and local government levels.
“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 pointed to the Ondo State Residents Health Insurance Scheme, ORANGHIS, as another measure aimed at improving the welfare of elderly residents, noting that it would give senior citizens access to healthcare at no cost.
He further urged the beneficiaries to be cautious with the funds, warning them against putting their gratuities into risky or speculative investments.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, said the state had gradually worked through the gratuity backlog, with payments extending from retirees of 2010 to those of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Takuro noted that settling the outstanding obligations had required significant financial resources, as the backlog runs into billions of naira.
The state Head of Service, Segun Odusanya, meanwhile, commended Aiyedatiwa for placing the welfare of public servants, including retirees, among the administration’s priorities.