Oyo releases N1.5bn for payment of gratuity to retired primary school teachers, LGs workers … approves new financial benefits for workers

The sum of One Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N1.5bn) as part payment of outstanding gratuity and pension arrears to retired primary school teachers and local government workers as on Tuesday been released by Oyo State Government.

Also, the Governor,  Senator Abiola Ajimobi approved the payment of current salary of workers in the state with their new financial benefits in line with 2012 – 2016 promotion exercise as recommended by the Technical Committee set up by the governor on February 14, 2019.

The government stated that the sum of Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (750M) will also be contributed quarterly by the Local Governments and its Local Council Development Areas (LCDAS) in the state for the same purpose in order to offset the accumulated gratuities of the retired local government workers including retired primary school teachers at all grade levels.

This was made known during a  Press Conference involving the representatives of the State Government, the Local governments Chairmen, the Pensions Board, the Nigeria Union Pensioners and some of the affected pensioners at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Oluseun Abimbola disclosed that the decision was taken after the out of court settlement between the state government and the NUP, saying that retired LGs workers should visit their various local governments to know the modalities involved in the collection of their gratuities.

Abimbola, who was with his counterparts from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Bimbo Kolade and Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun stated that the NUP and government recently received the enrolled order of the National Industrial Court, Ibadan Division delivered by Hon. Justice Dele Peters, ratifying the terms of out of court settlement agreed between the Government and the Pensioners' Unions on Monday March 4, 2019, stressing that the government has commenced the payment of the N1.5bn.

He noted that the out of court settlement proffered solution to the about 12 years of pensions arrears and gratuity, stating that steps have been taken to ensure that all due pensions will be      paid as at when due without adding it to the arrears on ground.

According to him “the resolution and the court's pronouncement recognized that the accrued Pension and Gratuity arrears was, and remains the statutory duty and responsibility of the Local Government to pay to retirees of primary school teachers as well as the local government staff, thus the Oyo State Government never had the liability nor obligation by law and is not the one owing this arrears as being speculated in some certain quarters. Nevertheless, Governor Ajimobi intervened and directed we engage all stakeholders to ensure a final resolution of this age-long matter inherited by this administration.

We have also agreed with the NUP as part of the terms of resolution to immediately commence a biometric exercise in order to eradicate any hidden incident of ghost workers/pensioners in the local government service or teaching service,” the Attorney General said.

In his address, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Bimbo Kolade reiterated that the payment is for both deceased and living retirees, calling for maximum cooperation from the NUP so that the government efforts in alleviating the suffering of the retirees will be fruitful.