Abiodun increases quarterly gratuity payment to N2bn

By Demilade Michael

Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has approved an immediate increase of the quarterly payment of gratuity from N1 billion to N2 billion, representing 100 percent in aggregate for both the State and local government pensions.

The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pensions, Mr. Adesoji Adewuyi, while speaking in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said the gesture was another government’s effort at alleviating hardship faced by the senior citizens in the face of present socio-economic challenges in the country, reiterating the present administration's commitment to improve the plight of pensioners and the generality of its workforce.

Adewuyi hinted that government had also set aside three percent of the gratuity for pensioners with urgent medical needs or hospital bills, assuring that the present administration would continue to accommodate the senior citizens in the scheme of things, to ensure a restful retirement period for them.

In a related development, Adewuyi disclosed that the state government has constituted a Consequential Adjustment Committee, with a directive to review the pensioners' monthly income, in line with the present economic reality.

According to the Permanent Secretary, under the new arrangement, monthly pensions, which statutorily should be reviewed every five years, would now be N10,000 for those earning below the benchmark.

"In 2023, the governor approved the payment and it is being paid pending the conclusion for the general review of monthly pension by the Consequential Adjustment Committee", he said.

Reacting to the development, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Waheed Oloyede, expressed gratitude to Governor Abiodun, for deeming it fit to increase the quarterly gratuity release from N1billion to N2billion.

He noted that the increment would assist pensioners to cope with the economic challenges facing the country, praying that God would continue to guide the governor and his cabinet to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.