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The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has told the people of his state to hold on a little while, assuring the workers that he would not disappoint them with the new minimum wage.
Oyebanji, who spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, during the presentation of ₦1 billion gratuities cheques to retirees, expressed hope that he would offset all outstanding pension arrears before the year ending.
“On minimum wage, once it becomes a law when the President signs it into law, all will be well. The only thing I know, I am here to serve you. Let us wait, at the appropriate time, all will be well. One thing I know is that I am not going to disappoint you,” Governor Oyebanji said on Tuesday.
Naija News reports that the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier on Tuesday passed the ₦70,000 National Wage Bill into law as forwarded to them by President Bola Tinubu.
Oyebanji, who also spoke on local government autonomy, said, “We don’t have a problem with that judgment in Ekiti State. The local governments here (in Ekiti) enjoy financial autonomy and they are democratically elected local governments. We have to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court.”
The governor reassured of his unwavering support, stating pensioners constitute a pivotal segment of his government policy framework.
“They have dedicated their lives to public service, serving the state with distinction, and it is our utmost duty to ensure they receive the highest standards of care,” the governor said.
Oyebanji further, on behalf of the state government, extended a formal apology to the pensioners for the prolonged delays they had experienced in receiving their gratuities.
In recognition of their service, 450 pensioners were presented with cheques amounting to N1 billion as gratuities.
He said, “Today and in this batch, we are paying out a total sum of ₦1 billion only to this batch while continuing with the monthly gratuity payment of N20m to both state and local government pensioners.
“I am proud to say we have paid, in total, the sum of ₦12.56 billion as pensions since we assumed office. Similarly, this administration has paid a cumulative sum of N2.3b as a gratuity to our retired senior citizens. That is apart from the gratuity already paid to local government retirees.
“I am assuring those on the waiting list to keep hope alive as the government is doing everything possible to see that more people are paid very soon. Our ultimate objective is to liquidate all gratuity arrears in a short distance time completely.
“In addition, we have ensured that retirees are not left behind in the payment of wage awards to Ekiti government workers. Similarly, I am glad to mention that we have cleared all arrears of pension owed state pensioners totalling N1.14b earlier in the year, while about N150m outstanding deductions have been paid”.
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Joel Akinola, commended Oyebanji for his generous support of pensioners.
He emphasized that the disbursement of N1b to gratuities for pensioners is unprecedented in Ekiti and only happened under the current governor.
Akinola pledged that the money given to pensioners would be utilized within Ekiti State, contributing to the state’s economy.
The NUP State Chairman conveyed his appreciation to the governor, stating, “Our well-being has significantly improved. The free health program for the elderly has also greatly benefited us. Health is indeed wealth.”
However, he cautioned recipients to use the funds wisely for their own well-being and to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous individuals seeking to take advantage of them.
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