Pensioners in Ondo State have hailed Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for the implementation and payment of 33 percent increment in their allowances.
Elder Adedapo Salami, the acting Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in the state, gave the commendation on Wednesday in Akure during a press conference.
Salami said that pensioners were happy when the state government started the implementation of the 33 percent increment, which was approved in 2010 and implemented in 2014 by the Federal Government.
He said that they were also happy that Ondo was among the states that had promptly implemented the N30,000 minimum wage.
“I can say that the happiest period of my life was when the approval of the new minimum wage was given by the state government.
“We have been waiting for it, and we are very happy and grateful to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for the approval of this new minimum wage.
“The other request we are still expecting response to is the two-and-a-half month arrears of the local government and primary school pensioners.
“As a matter of fact, the present administration met unpaid salaries and pensions of seven months from the immediate past government and it had offset it and has even continued paying normal salaries.
”So we are appealing to government to pay the two months arrears of local government and primary school teachers’ pensioners,” he said.
Also speaking, the NUP Secretary, Mr Akin Sunday, said the 33 percent approved by the Federal Government in 2010 but implemented in 2014 to federal pensioners was good news for the state pensioners after several appeals.
“We had written so many letters to the immediate past government for the implementation of this but with no result. But thanks to God for giving us the Akeredolu administration which approved and implemented this 33 percent pension.
“In Ondo state today, our pensioners are jubilating and rejoicing for this, and they are praising the government of Akeredolu.
He, however, said that gratuities payment was a very critical area that the union would need to discuss with the government, adding that gratuity indebtedness by the state government was over N60 billion.
“With the record I have with me, we have about 8,000 pensioners at the local government level, while we have about 7,000 at the state level,” he said. (NAN)
