….backs governor for Second Term, Cite Improved Welfare
Pensioners in Ekiti State have thrown their weight behind the re-election bid of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, citing improved welfare and prompt payment of entitlements during his first term in office.
At an expanded meeting of the State Executive Council of the Pensioners Association of Nigeria, PAN in Ado-Ekiti, members unanimously pledged to vote en masse for the governor in the June 20 gubernatorial election. The association said the decision was based on what it described as unprecedented attention to pensioners’ welfare under the current administration.
Speaking at the meeting, the State Chairman of PAN, Comrade Joel Akinola, listed several interventions that have eased the burden on retirees in the state. According to him, the benefits include regular and prompt payment of monthly pensions, an increase of ₦20,000 to the monthly pension of every pensioner, and the reduction of the gratuity debt from ₦48 billion to less than ₦12 billion.
Akinola also highlighted the introduction of free healthcare for all pensioners, payment of seven and five months of outstanding pensions owed local and state pensioners respectively, and the settlement of five months of check-off dues. Other gestures, he said, include the donation of an 18-seater air-conditioned Toyota bus, financial support toward the construction of a Pensioners’ Guest House, the annual celebration of Pensioners’ Day, and the distribution of food palliatives to vulnerable members.
“These interventions have restored dignity and hope to pensioners in Ekiti State,” Akinola said. “For the first time in many years, our members can plan their lives with the assurance that their entitlements will come when due.”
The pensioners also held a special prayer session for Governor Oyebanji and the government of Ekiti State. They prayed for peace and stability in the state before, during, and after the June 20 election.
The endorsement adds to the growing list of support for the governor from organised groups across the state as campaigns for the governorship election gather momentum.
