Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that his administration has up to now expended N179.7 billion in settling pensions and gratuities for state and native authorities retirees since its inception in 2019.
Governor Abiodun, who disclosed this on the 2025 Staff’ Day Celebration held on the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, mentioned the backlog of pensions from 2012 to 2017 had been cleared, simply because the backlog of Nationwide Housing Scheme remittances has additionally been cleared to make sure easy accessibility to mortgage loans.
In response to the governor, about 12,500 employees have benefited from automotive and bike loans, which his administration has elevated to the tune of N1.6 billion.
He mentioned: “As a worker-friendly administration, now we have made deliberate efforts to deepen our partnership with labor to enhance working circumstances and improve the welfare of our employees throughout the state.
“This administration, since its inception in 2019, has cleared the pension backlog, and pensions are actually paid alongside salaries. Now we have paid for the interval from 2012 to 2017.
“A complete of N179.7 billion has been disbursed as pensions and gratuities to each state and native authorities pensioners. The backlog of Nationwide Housing Scheme remittances has been cleared, easing entry to mortgage loans.
“Now we have elevated automotive and bike loans to the tune of N1.6 billion, disbursed to about 12,500 beneficiaries.”
He mentioned N8 billion was used to offer palliatives to state employees and pensioners between July 2023 and March 2024 to cushion the results of subsidy elimination on gas.
Prince Abiodun additionally disclosed that 350 hectares of land at Ijemo/Onisela has been acquired and launched below a Websites and Companies Scheme to assist the aspirations of employees within the state to grow to be property house owners by way of mortgages.
To be named the Prince Dapo Abiodun Bureaucrats Property, the governor mentioned that the Websites and Companies Scheme is a authorities initiative that gives important infrastructure like roads, water, and electrical energy to an space, permitting people or companies to develop properties at a decrease price.
Abiodun appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts in repositioning the nation’s financial system in addition to galvanizing the employees for optimum productiveness, acknowledging that with the varied reforms of the federal authorities, inflation and costs of products are regularly happening whereas the financial system is selecting up.
Learn Additionally:
The governor famous that the cooperation between the state authorities and the employees has positioned the state as a beacon of innovation, enterprise, and human capital improvement, putting the state on the trail of sustainable improvement.
“Together with your assist and cooperation, our administration has absolutely deployed obtainable sources, culminating in a conducive enterprise atmosphere that has attracted and inspired each native and international traders to strengthen our financial system,” he mentioned.
The governor urged the state workforce to proceed discharging their duties diligently by enjoying their half in serving to the federal government revive the challenged financial system in addition to supporting the supply of infrastructure in all of the city and rural areas of the state.
The federal government, Governor Abiodun famous, isn’t oblivious to the laborious realities on the bottom led to by financial challenges, saying that the federal government is working in direction of addressing them.
Whereas describing the employees because the driving drive for the socio-economic improvement of the state, he counseled the workforce and their management for sustaining industrial concord, which has contributed to the event witnessed within the state.
In his opening remarks, the Federal Controller of Labour, Ogun State, Mr. Andy Egbor, said that employees have contributed to the nation’s progress and appreciated those that championed higher working circumstances for employees.
Ogun’s method to employees’ welfare, based on the federal controller, is an effective instance for others to observe, calling for collaboration with the federal authorities for improved welfare for the employees.
State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Hameed Benco, famous that the present financial challenges haven’t solely threatened welfare but in addition job safety, calling on governments to construct low-cost housing, set up a market pricing regulatory board to manage the costs of products, and supply interest-free loans to employees as a part of efforts to reduce the hardship.
Chairman of the Commerce Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Akeem Lasisi, described the celebration as a battle towards oppression as employees are going by way of financial hardship, calling on the federal government to handle insecurity brought on by the actions of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnappers, and herdsmen.
Whereas appreciating the state authorities for its varied intervention packages, together with the cost of employees’ deductions, improved automotive refurbishment loans, Christmas bonuses, the sale of meals objects at lowered costs, and the conduct of 2023 and 2024 promotion workout routines, he counseled the governor for the immediate cost of pensions to state retirees.
