The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has released the sum of N708 million for the payment of pension to retirees in the state.
This was made known by the state’s Head of Service, Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade, in a statement sent to newsmen on Monday.
The breakdown of the payment, according to the statement, indicated that the sum of N508 million was approved to pay pensions of retired civil servants under the Old Pension Scheme while the sum of N150 million was approved to pay selected retirees based on merit under the Contributory Pensions Scheme.
Also, the total sum of N50 million will be used to offset part of the gratuities of retired officers under the Old Pensions Scheme.
The statement also explained that the list of names of the selected retirees has been posted on the notice boards of the Ministry of Information and Civil Orientation; State Pensions Bureau and the Office of the Head of Service.
Meanwhile, several civil societies and other pensioners’ groups in the state have berated the state government for blowing its trumpet whenever such funds are released to pensioners.
The loudest critics have been the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has continually stated that payment of pensions to retirees was their right and not a government achievement.
Recall that in late October, a group of pensioners had taken to the streets and marched to the state government secretariat, Abeere in protest of the state government’s continued delay in the payment of their gratuities.
An action which the state government labelled as being the handiwork of detractors and opposition hell-bent on bringing down the administration and casting aspersions on its laudable achievements.
The state government, in order to douse the tension created by the retirees’ protests, had advised them not to be willing tools in the hand of the opposition.
