‘I won’t play politics with civil servants’ welfare’
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised that his administration would not politicise the welfare of civil servants, as he approved the payment of N2.4 billion in gratuities to retirees.
- From Tosin Tope, Akure
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised that his administration would not politicise the welfare of civil servants, as he approved the payment of N2.4 billion in gratuities to retirees.
He made this known yesterday during the disbursement of funds to pensioners, who retired in 2018 and 2019, held at the Governor’s Office in Akure.
He reaffirmed his commitment to prioritising workers’ welfare.
The governor said workers and pensioners deserved dignity and prompt payment of their entitlements, noting that his administration would ensure regular payments without political considerations.
“This gesture demonstrates our resolve to treat the welfare of serving and retired workers with the seriousness it deserves.
“As we have emphasised, we will never play politics with the welfare of our people. God willing! Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ondo State Council, can attest to the fact that our government has been consistent in the release of intervention funds in this regard,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa assured civil servants that their welfare remained a top priority, noting that policies and programmes would continue to be driven by fairness and responsibility.
He said his government inherited a significant backlog of pension and gratuity liabilities, adding that efforts were underway to clear arrears within the shortest possible time.
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The governor advised retirees to take advantage of Ondo State Health Insurance Scheme, which he said had been subsidised to improve access to health care.
He declared the disbursement open with the release of N2,466,336,304 to verified retirees.
Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transitional Department, Peter Akingbade, said the payment marked a major step towards clearing outstanding gratuities.
He said 733 retirees benefited from the exercise, including 391 from 2018 and 342 from 2019.
He said the beneficiaries were drawn from the core civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching workers, as well as parastatals across the state.
The permanent secretary added that gratuities for 2015, 2016 and 2017 (Batch B) were paid in January 2026, with over N1 billion disbursed.
He urged retirees yet to be verified to complete their documentation, noting that the payment process was ongoing.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a 2018 retiree, Adeleye Adebanjo, expressed appreciation to the governor for the payment.
The state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Johnson Osunyemi, described the governor as a “saviour” to pensioners in the state.
He recalled that Aiyedatiwa had provided an 18-seater bus for the union, describing the gesture as one that would be remembered for years.
