Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, on Monday, flagged off the payment of N1.6 billion outstanding gratuities to retired local government employees and primary school teachers.

Mr Aiyedatiwa said that the payment was a deliberate action initiated by the current administration.

“I started this even when I was deputy governor. I presented a case to the then-governor, which he approved for us and we started that initiative of saving money.

“Periodically, any time we have a situation that is good to put some money aside, we save to pay our pensioners, and this we continue even now that we are fully in charge as governor,” he said.

He said that the step was to restore hope to pensioners, who had lost hope of ever being paid their gratuities once in full, after meritorious service to the state in particular, and humanity in general.

“The bulk payment for the 2014 set of pensioners we are flagging off further demonstrates our commitment to the welfare of the elderly and the vulnerable sections of our population, in line with the EASE policy trust.

“Let me also add that the bulk payment effected to pensioners of years 2011, 2012, and 2013 in succession under our watch has been unprecedented in the history of our dear state and today, we are exiting 2014.

“Very soon, we will exit 2015; until everybody is exited and that will happen,” he stated.

According to him, Ondo State is one of the few states in Nigeria to grant an upward review to pensioners’ benefits.

The governor said that he was greatly impressed with the resultant symbiotic relationship between the National Union of Pensioners ( NUP) and the local government pension transitional department in all government programmes and activities.

Mr Aiyedatiwa, who handed cheques to relatives of three officials of local government who lost their lives on an official assignment, said that the administration would always prioritise the welfare of senior citizens.

Earlier, the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Amidu Takuro, highlighted the government efforts in addressing the plight of pensioners in the state.

Mr Takuro said that a minimum of 300 aged people in each local government were being given N20,000 every month in all 18 local government areas of the state.

He stated that the governor had directed the ministry to save a percentage of money in every quarter to address the payment of pensioners’ gratuities.

Speaking, Johnson Osunyemi, the state chairman of NUP, appreciated the governor for the effort.

(NAN)