Ogun offsets N10.1 billion pensions, gratuities

Modupe Adekunle, the Ogun State head of service has disclosed that the State government had paid the sum of N10.12 billion as pensions and gratuities, stating that additional 1,727 pensioners has also been enrolled into the State Pensioners’ Pay Roll.

Adekunle, who briefed pressmen on the activities of State government and civil service at the 2013 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abeokuta, said that the recently paid pensions and gratuities were part of the inherited liability from the past administration.

She said government, through the Bureau of State Pensions, had been offsetting the liability accrued from unpaid pensions and gratuities; and had also enrolled newly-retired pensioners into the State Pensioners’ Pay Roll for regular payment of pensions and gratuities.

The Head of Service also disclosed that government had taken steps to overhaul the ailing State Contributory Pension Scheme which commenced in 2008, having been promulgated under Ogun State Pension Reform Law in 2006.

It will be recalled that the State Public and Civil servants under the auspices of Joint National Negotiating Council recently threatened to down tools following demanding a N5.6billion unpaid Contributory Pension deductions, spanning 32 months, which government attributed to bad management of funds deducted from workers’ salaries as pensions by the past administration.

To reform the Contributory Pension Scheme, Adekunle said that the State Executive Council had approved the overhaul of the scheme through the “creation of Transitional Pension Scheme to cater for those who have been retiring since 2010 and those that will retire from service between now and 30th June, 2025.”