Ekiti pensioners hail Oyebanji over N4.6bn gratuities payment, bus gift
Pensioners in Ekiti State have expressed their joy over the new lease of life senior citizens in the state are enjoying under Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Ekiti State Branch, Joel Akinola, stated that the release of N4.6bn by Oyebanji for the payment of outstanding gratuities to state and local government pensioners within one month was unprecedented.
Akinola, speaking during a monthly prayer summit of the pensioners, also appreciated the governor for presenting a bus to the union in the same month. The statement was made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.
The NUP chairman also praised the state government’s free healthcare initiative for all Ekiti pensioners and the financial support for the union’s guest house construction, among other welfare programmes and initiatives.
However, he appealed to Oyebanji to “consider settling the remaining one month’s pension owed to local government pensioners” and to establish special recreational centres for pensioners in the 16 local government areas of the state.
He said, “We are grateful for the recent disbursement of over N3.2bn for state pensioners and N1.4bn for local government pensioners as part of the gratuity debt clearance, as well as the addition of a N10,000 monthly palliative for all pensioners.
“We are truly grateful for the governor’s unwavering dedication to our welfare; the payment of arrears for state pensioners and the significant progress in clearing local government pensioners’ arrears is a testament to his commitment.
“This has gone a long way to enhance our financial capability, especially in the procurement of drugs and in eating well and right.
“As pensioners, we are human beings and deserve to be part of society in one way or another. That is why we want the governor to establish these recreational centres for our people to meet, socialise, and relax.
“Our members across the local government areas need the centres to relax and experience what it means to have a social life again after years of service and retirement.”
