Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has commenced the disbursement of ₦2.4 billion as gratuities to retirees from the state public service who exited between 2018 and 2019.
At a ceremony held on Monday in Akure, the governor said the payment was part of efforts to address outstanding entitlements owed to pensioners and improve their welfare.
Aiyedatiwa stated that the initiative underscored his administration’s commitment to prioritising the well-being of workers and retirees, stressing that the government would not politicise issues relating to their welfare.
According to him, a total of 733 verified retirees are to benefit from the exercise, which he described as a step towards clearing inherited arrears.
He noted that the state government approved over ₦2.4 billion for the payment despite other financial obligations, adding that mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that outstanding gratuities are settled progressively.
The governor also assured retirees yet to benefit that they would be captured in subsequent phases, urging them to complete necessary documentation. He further encouraged senior citizens to enrol in the state’s health insurance scheme to improve access to healthcare services.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transitional Department, Peter Akingbade, said the payment marked significant progress in reducing the backlog of gratuities.
He disclosed that the beneficiaries comprised 391 retirees from 2018 and 342 from 2019, drawn from the core civil service, secondary schools, and parastatals.
Akingbade added that gratuities for earlier sets of retirees, including those from 2015 to 2017 (Batch B), had been paid earlier in January 2026.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, a retiree, Adeleye Adebanjo, expressed appreciation to the state government for the gesture.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Johnson Osunyemi, commended the governor for the intervention, noting that pensioners in the state had continued to receive support under the current administration.
Dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, represented by his deputy, Ololade Gbegudu; Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Fasoranti; and Chief of Staff, Segun Omojuwa, alongside other government officials and labour leaders.
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