Olushola Omogbehin
Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has flagged off the payment of ₦3.82 billion in gratuities to 985 Ondo State retirees, covering 509 retirees from the 2020 batch and 476 beneficiaries from 2015–2019.
The payment was flagged off on Wednesday by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure.
The beneficiaries cut across the mainstream civil service, secondary school staff and state parastatals.
Governor Aiyedatiwa described the payment as a “debt of honour”, saying his administration inherited billions of naira in gratuity arrears but has been systematically clearing them.
“When our administration came to the saddle, we inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date. 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,” he said.
Speaking further, Aiyedatiwa said: “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 the payment was not merely a financial intervention but a demonstration of his administration’s appreciation of retired workers. “We remember your service; we respect your sacrifice; and we will not forget your entitlement,” he said.
The governor had earlier pledged to clear all inherited gratuity arrears before the end of his tenure, stressing that governance involves not only new projects but also resolving inherited obligations.
The Pension Transition Office confirmed that beneficiaries are receiving their full gratuity entitlements, rather than partial payments, and urged retirees who are yet to complete verification to do so.
Representatives of the retirees and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners commended the governor, describing the development as historic and positioning Ondo among states making significant progress in clearing pension-related obligations.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transition Office, Dr Peter Akingbade, disclosed that retirees from the 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B and 2020 Batch A were included in the payment.
He confirmed as well that beneficiaries had already begun receiving bank alerts and would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments.
Akingbade described the development as a significant milestone capable of bringing relief, dignity and renewed hope to retirees, attributing the payment to the governor’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens under the administration’s OUR EASE agenda.
He commended the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac, and the Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya, for their contributions towards the implementation of the payment.
