Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday, presented bond certificates worth N2.1 billion naira to retirees in the state.
Beneficiaries of the bonds include: state, local government and primary school teachers’ retirees in Osun. The programme was held at the Multipurpose Hall of Local Government Service Commission, State Secretariat, Abere in Osogbo.
In his address, Adeleke reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritising workers and retirees’ welfare.
He stressed that the payment template which his government has drawn is still in force, stating that even when paucity of funds was threatening the implementation, he insisted that the senior citizens must be satisfied.
Adeleke further assured the senior citizens that his administration is working on enrolling them under free health insurance scheme.
The governor appealed to them to exercise more patience, saying he has them in mind and remain resolute to do everything possible to make life more comfortable for them.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Head of Service, Mr Ayanleye Aina thanked the Governor for prioritising workers’ welfare by paying salaries and gratuities to the retirees in the State.
Mr Aina stated that since last year November that the Governor came on board, he has changed the fortunes of both active workers and retirees for good by approving the upward review of retiree’s gratuities,under the old pension scheme, by one hundred and fifty percent, that is from N200,000 to N500,000, while pensioners, under the contributory pension scheme,have started enjoying one hundred percent increase, that is, from N125m to N250m monthly.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Aderinola Joseph thanked the Governor for prioritising their welfare.
He appealed to the Governor to assist in paying the remaining backlog of half salaries to other retirees, who are yet to be captured for the bond certificate collection so as to enable them have something to fall back on.
