Ondo governor disburses ₦2.4bn to 2018, 2019 retirees, vows continued support
The Governor of Ondo State, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on Monday flagged off the disbursement of ₦2.4 billion in gratuities to pensioners who retired from the state public service in 2018 and 2019, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the welfare of retired workers.
Held at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Akure, Aiyedatiwa described the exercise as not merely administrative, but a fulfilment of a moral obligation to those who served the state diligently.
He emphasised that retirement should be a period of rest and dignity rather than uncertainty, noting that many pensioners had endured years of hardship due to delayed payments. The governor disclosed that ₦2.4 billion had been approved to offset gratuity arrears for 2018 and 2019 retirees, despite competing fiscal demands, insisting that the government would always place what is right above convenience.
“Retirees deserve to enjoy their later years with dignity. Many waited decades for what is rightfully theirs, and we are committed to ensuring that their sacrifices are honoured,” Aiyedatiwa said.
The governor recalled that his administration inherited a substantial backlog of pension and gratuity liabilities, with stories of prolonged waiting, anguish, and, in some cases, beneficiaries not surviving to receive their dues. He assured that mechanisms have been put in place to clear all outstanding arrears within the shortest possible time.
Aiyedatiwa further stressed that his administration would not politicise the welfare of pensioners, highlighting the consistent release of intervention funds, and urged senior citizens to take advantage of the subsidised Ondo State Health Insurance Scheme to improve access to healthcare.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Pension Transitional Department, Dr Peter Akingbade, said the exercise would benefit 733 retirees—391 from 2018 and 342 from 2019—drawn from the mainstream civil service, teaching and non-teaching staff of secondary schools, and parastatals across the state. He noted that gratuity payments for earlier batches had already been completed, with ₦1.013 billion disbursed in January 2026.
Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Prince Adeleye Adebanjo, a 2018 retiree, thanked God for a performing governor, while the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ondo State Council, Mr Johnson Osunyemi, described Governor Aiyedatiwa as “the saviour of pensioners in Ondo,” recalling that he also presented pensioners with an 18-seater bus in January as part of his commitment to their welfare.
