Ibadan — It was jubilation galore at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Ibadan on Tuesday as primary school teachers who retired from service since 2011 received their first monthly pensions.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi had on Monday approved the commencement of pension to the retired teachers with effect from Tuesday, February 19, 2013.

It would be recalled that the Oyo state government had said that the massive fraud discovered at the Local Government Pension Board, a body responsible for the payment of pension allowances to retired primary school teachers and local government workers, had prevented the retired teachers from being placed on monthly pensions.

The situation had also hampered the payment of their gratuities, a situation that had led to series of meetings between them and the state government.

The payment, which began in Ibadan on Tuesday, was presided over by the Chairman of the State Local Government Pension Board, Chief Lasisi Ayankojo and other officials of the board.

The highly elated retired teachers commended the governor for coming to their aid after several months of waiting for the monthly pensions.

For instance, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the beneficiaries, said that he felt relieved with the payment, as he had almost lost hope of receiving the pension.

Another retiree, Mrs. Alice Modupe Adigun, blamed their plight on the perpetrators of the fraud discovered at the Board, saying that were it not for the fraud, nothing would have prevented them from enjoying their pensions since their retirement.

Also, Mr. Olalekan Bolaji urged the government to do everything possible to bring those found to be involved in the fraud to book, considering the harm they had done to the system.

The Chairman of the Board, Chief Ayankojo said that the pensions would henceforth be paid on monthly basis, adding that the cash payment for the month of January was to guide against unnecessary delay as subsequent ones would be paid through e-payment.