Ondo govt clears gratuity backlog, pays N3.82bn to 985 Ondo retirees
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Relief and excitement swept through the ranks of retired public servants in Ondo State on Wednesday as the state government flagged off the payment of N3.82 billion in gratuities to 985 retirees, bringing renewed hope to beneficiaries who had waited years to receive their entitlements.
The beneficiaries include 509 retirees from the 2020 batch and 476 outstanding beneficiaries from batches between 2015 and 2019, drawn from the mainstream civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching services, as well as parastatals across the state.
At the flag-off ceremony held at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa described the payment as a “debt of honour” being discharged to men and women who devoted their productive years to the service of Ondo State.
The governor said his administration met billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations inherited from previous years but chose to confront the challenge rather than leave it unresolved.
According to him, governance goes beyond the initiation of new projects, stressing that responsible leadership also demands the courage to confront inherited liabilities and find lasting solutions to them.
“When our administration came to the saddle, we inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date,” Aiyedatiwa said.
“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.”
The governor said his administration had made significant progress by defraying outstanding gratuities owed to retirees between 2015 and 2019, with the commencement of payment to the 2020 batch representing another major step in addressing the backlog.
“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 fulfil this important obligation,” he said.
For many of the senior citizens present at the ceremony, the development represented more than a financial transaction. It was a moment of relief after years of waiting, as well as recognition for decades spent in classrooms, offices and government establishments in service to the state.
Aiyedatiwa said the payment was a demonstration of his administration’s appreciation for the sacrifices and contributions of retired workers to the growth and development of the Sunshine State.
“We remember your service; we respect your sacrifice; and we will not forget your entitlement,” the governor assured the retirees.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transition Office, Dr. Peter Akingbade, disclosed that retirees in the 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B and 2020 Batch A were covered in the exercise.
He said many of the beneficiaries had already started receiving bank alerts, adding that the retirees would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments.
Akingbade described the development as a major milestone that would restore dignity, bring relief and rekindle hope among retirees who had patiently waited for their benefits.
He attributed the payment to Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens and retired public servants under the administration’s OUR EASE agenda.
The permanent secretary also commended the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac, for her strategic contribution to the exercise and the Head of Service, Mr. Segun Odusanya, for his commitment to the welfare of retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
He said the payment process would continue, urging retirees who were yet to complete the necessary verification and documentation to come forward and do so.
Akingbade described the occasion as historic, saying it demonstrated the resolve of the present administration to place the welfare of the people at the heart of governance.
According to him, the governor had shown through the exercise that leadership must be driven by compassion, responsibility and the determination to put smiles on the faces of citizens.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Nike Ogunbodede expressed gratitude to the governor, describing the payment as a remarkable gesture that had brought joy and relief to retired workers.
She said the development had renewed the confidence of pensioners in the commitment of the state government to their welfare.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, commended the governor for prioritising the clearance of gratuity arrears.
Osunyemi said Ondo State had become one of the leading states in the country in efforts to clear the backlog of gratuities owed to retired public servants.
The ceremony attracted the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti; State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; and the Head of Service, Mr. Segun Odusanya.
Others were members of the State Executive Council, State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Clement Fatuase; State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ademola Olapade; Director-General of OSRC Media Group, Mr. Kenneth Stevenson-Odusola; permanent secretaries and political appointees.
