The Oyo State Government has released the sum of N200 million for the payment of gratuity to 201 retired civil servants.
Mrs Olawumi Ogunesan, the state’s Head of Service, disbursed the cheques on Thursday in Ibadan to beneficiaries who retired between 2011 and 2012 on Grade Level 01 to 07.
She explained that the payment was an attestation to the fact that the state government was paying gratuities to pensioners based on merit and without influence or favour.
Ogunesan, who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs Adejoke Eyitayo, appealed to those that were yet to collect theirs to exercise patience.
She stated that government was working assiduously to pay them in due course.
Ogunesan revealed that the state government had earlier paid N1.3billion as gratuities to retirees in 2017.
She urged the retirees to be wary of fraudsters who may want to swindle them by collecting money from them unlawfully.
Mr Odebisi Adediran and Mr Rasheed Akanbi, who spoke on behalf of beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the state government for releasing their gratuity.
The duo, who said most of them had lost hope of getting it, applauded the procedure followed in paying the money which they described as based on merit.
