November 19, (THEWILL) – Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Friday released N2 billion to offset part of the global cooperative deductions from workers’ wages and address the plight of pensioners in the state.
He also released another N1 billion for state and local government pensioners’ gratuities.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, the money covers four months of a debt profile inherited from the previous administration.
He added that the new gratuities is a 100 percent increase from the former quarterly payment of N500m.
The governor, who promised to settle the rest of the deductions by releasing one billion naira quarterly until all the deductions made are defrayed, said that workers’ promotion for 2018 would soon be implemented.
This was disclosed by the chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ogun State branch, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, during a press conference held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan. Abeokuta, the state capital.
Lasisi who spoke shortly after a meeting between the leaders of Labour and Pensioners’ Unions said the members of the union had a fruitful meeting with Abiodun on the payment of their gratuities own by past governments
He said “we had a fruitful meeting with the governor today. This is a follow-up to other meetings we had before. In the meeting, we told the governor that workers are tensed up and restless due to non- payment of their deductions and the Governor agreed to do something about it.
“I am glad to inform you that he has directed the immediate release of N1bn for the payment of gratuities and that N1bn will be released on quarterly basis for the Pensioners. As at today, four months of global deductions have been paid and the governor also promised to do this on a quarterly basis.”
The chairman also said that the governor promised that promotion entitlements for 2019 would commence by March next year.
He noted that Abiodun asked the workers to expect to enjoy their promotion entitlements for 2020 from between May or June next year.
The State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Chief Waidi Oloyede, thanked the state government for the gesture, saying that some pensioners collect as low as N5,000 as monthly pension.
Secretary to the pension union, Dr. Bola Lawal, said its members would not embark on any protest without informing the government, noting that the last protest was done by an association and not his union.
Earlier, the State Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSON) and Chairman, Joint Negotiations Committee, Comrade Isa Olude, called for commitment on the part of the parties involved to build trust and avoid misunderstandings.
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