Advisor to Ekiti State Governor on Pension Matters, Pius Oduola has declared that the Ekiti State government are not owing pensions to pensioners in the state.
Oduola stated this in a press statement issued in Ado-Ekiti following the recent accusations against the Biodun Oyebanji administration by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners.
According to him, the Oyebanji administration has consistently prioritised the welfare of retirees in the state including payment of inherited backlog of gratuities from previous governments.
Oduola berated union leaders for threatening to sue the state government to court over unpaid check-up dues describing it as unfortunate while calling on them to eschew personal aggrandizement but prioritize the interest of pensioners in the state.
The statement reads: “Ekiti Pensioners are not suffering as claimed by the Chairman of NUP. In my earlier publication I said only ungrateful Pensioners will speak ill of Ekiti state Governor.
“It is unfortunate that those in that category are union leaders who have decided to close their eyes on the good efforts our Governor BAO has been making to better the life of Pensioners in Ekiti state simply because their threat to take the Government to court for non release of check off dues has been frustrated by releasing the check off dues to the innocent Pensioners from whom the check off dues were deducted.
“Their criticism has now made it Clear to the Pensioners that the Check off dues is more important to them than the regular payment of pension and progressive payment of Gratuities that is going on now in Ekiti state today. In the past when previous Governments owed Pensioners backlog of Pensions and Gratuity there was no court threat because checkoff dues were paid to the neglect of pension and Gratuity to the union leaders for their comfort.
“Iam happy that the Pensioners have now realized that some of their leaders don’t love them but their personal purse and welfare. If they are saying that the Government of BAO who met unpaid Gratuity of about 48billion naira on the ground when sworn in and has now reduced it to below 18billion within a period of three years has done nothing for pensioners is a libelous allegations.
“To remove the suffering of pensioners which Governor BAO met on the ground the following were speedily done by him.
“(1) Regular and prompt payment of monthly pension. (2) Payment of outstanding inherited pension arrears to Local and state pensioners. (3) Steady liquidation of arrears of inherited Gratuity from 48billion naira down to less than 18 billion naira now, not minding the meager financial resources of the state compared with many other states of the federation. (4) Free health services for all Ekiti Pensioners.
“(5) payment of 20,000 naira to pensioners as pension increase across board which was the first of it’s kind in Ekiti state. (6) Regular donation of food items to vulnerable pensioners. (7) Donation of millions of naira towards the building of NUP guest house along Ado_ Ilawe road
“8) Donation of 10million naira towards the 2024 pensioners day celebration
9) Donation of 18 seater Bus to NUP to ease mobility. (10) Apart from regular monthly release of fund to offset inherited Gratuity debt, the state government released a large sum of 3.5billion naira in 2024 to quicken the settlement of Gratuity debt.
“11) In 2025 too, the Governor released 2billion naira to further reduce the inherited Gratuity debt for state pensioners. (12) Last December, the Government gave every pensioner 20,000naira as Christmas Bonus which was the first of it’s kind in Ekiti state.
“As at today, the Government of Ekiti state is not owing any pension to Pensioners. The remaining inherited Gratuity debt yet to be paid cannot be used to assess the performances of the Government. Some other states in Nigeria that are richer than Ekiti state are still owing Gratuities.
“A union leader who has been following the trend of events on the management of pensioners welfare in Ekiti state will agree with me that Governor Oyebanji”s Government is the best Elderly friendly Government Ekiti state has ever had.
“Majority of Pensioners in Ekiti state are appreciating and praising Governor BAO for prioritizing their welfare.
“Although it is difficult to satisfy all human beings. Some may be politically bias or bias because Government has refused to help them deduct check off dues.
“At state level the welfare of Pensioners is totally in the hand of state Government. Any Union leader who loves his members will always struggle to befriend the state Government by listening to and take to the advice of his Governor because one good turn deserves another. No individual, group or union fights Government and succeed. A word is enough for the wise.”
