Edo governor releases N1.5bn as payment for arrears of LG pensioners

Edo governor releases N1.5bn as payment for arrears of LG pensioners

- Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki has released N1.5bn as payment for arrears of local government pensioners

- The governor made a promise, on May Day, to release the money in order to clear part of the state’s local government pensioners’ arrears

- The gesture is reportedly unprecedented in the history of the state

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has released the sum of N1.5 billion for payment of arrears of local government pensioners in the state, NAN reports.

Jimoh Ijegbai, the state’s commissioner for local government and community affairs made the disclosure on Friday, May 25 while addressing members of the Local Government Pensioners’ Association (LGPA) in Benin.

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Legit.ng gathers that Ijegbai said the N1. 5 billion would cover eight month’s arrears of 4, 340 local government pensioners in the state.

“You will recall that on May Day, the governor made a promise to release N1. 5 billion to clear part of the state’s local government pensioners’ arrears.

“I am glad to announce to you that the money has been released for immediate payment.

“You recall, after the announcement on May Day, the governor held a meeting with the pensioners, urging them to proceed for immediate screening to ascertain their actual number,’’ Ijegbai said.

According to him, the screening has been completed and the state government is now ready to pay the pensioners.

The commissioner said the governor’s gesture was unprecedented in the history of the state; as such a huge sum of money had never been released to pay pension arrears before.

He said the present administration had not defaulted in payment of pensioners in the state since Obaseki assumed office as the governor.

“As at today, we are paying N264 million monthly to our pensioners in the state, and we will continue to pay until we clear the outstanding arrears,” he said.

Responding, the LGPA president, Frank Akinido, thanked the government for the gesture.

Akinido reiterated that members of the association were peace and abiding citizens.

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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the Edo state government said that it would commence the payment of pension arrears of retirees in ‘batch 40’ on January 24.

The government announced this in a statement signed by the permanent secretary and chairman, Pensions Bureau, I.D. Juwobor.

Juwobor explained that the announcement was in continuation of the phased payment of pension arrears by the state government.

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Source: Legit.ng

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