Leadership (Abuja)
Ayodele Samuel
31 October 2009
Lagos — The Ondo State government has paid the sum of N1.4billion to a total of 1,551 retired primary school teachers and local government staff in six designated centres all over the state, just as it launched the first ever State Residency Card project and Safe Motherhood programmes in the nation.
The state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who flagged off the payment of the frail looking pensioners, who despite their pitiable conditions, were full of joy at the Akure payment centre, disclosed that the gesture was in line with his administration's maxim of 'A Caring Heart' and its desire to bring joy and hope into the lives of the people of the state.
He said, "Our administration has resolved that instead of paying these benefits piecemeal without making the intended economic impact on the pensioners, we decided to pay out in lump sums, a total of N1.4billion which is the total amount owed all primary school pensioners and retired local government staff in Ondo State. This is the first time this is being done in Ondo State ."
Mimiko regretted the plight of the pensioners "whose current unenviable condition is being dramatised by the grim statistics of the high number of those that die while still pursuing their gratuities and arrears of pension." He disclosed that of the 1,551 retired primary school teachers and local government staff, a total number of 466 people, representing about 31% of them had died without getting their terminal benefits, a development which he insisted was unacceptable.
The governor also disclosed that in order to ensure that the retirees were not subjected to unnecessary hardship while trying to collect their entitlements, six payment stations had been created, two in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
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