Aiyedatiwa Hails Pensioners’ Sacrifices, Releases N7bn for Gratuities

•Tunji-Ojo lauds retirees contribution to nation building

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of retirees in the state, describing pensioners as the “custodians of collective memory” and “silent architects” of the state’s public institutions.

The governor stated this yesterday in Akure during the 2025 Pensioners’ Day celebration organised by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ondo State Chapter. 

Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Olusegun Omojuwa, assured that all requests presented by the pensioners, including the rehabilitation of the road leading to their Secretariat, would receive prompt attention.

“Pensioners are the custodians of our collective memory, the teachers who model minds, the health workers who save lives, the administrators who keep the wheels of governance turning. We owe you not just gratuity, but gratitude, respect and remembrance,” Aiyedatiwa said.

The Governor emphasised that his administration has, from inception, pursued a deliberate policy to restore the dignity of retirees by ensuring regular pension payments and clearing accumulated arrears of gratuities.

“From day one, we took a solemn stand to bring humanity into governance. Every pensioner deserves peace of mind and regular income after years of selfless service. That is why we’ve made prompt payment of pensions a permanent culture,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa disclosed that his government has released N2.396 billion for the payment of gratuities to verified retirees of 2016 and 2017, in addition to N2.2 billion disbursed in 2024 for 2015 retirees. Two weeks ago, the state also released over 2 billion to settle the backlog owed local government pensioners.

The governor further revealed that his administration approved an additional N30,000 monthly allowance for pensioners to cushion the impact of subsidy removal on senior citizens.

“These payments are not acts of charity but of justice and compassion,” he noted. “Every naira represents a lifetime of service.”

He added that under his administration, pensioners in the state now receive their entitlements promptly, without delays that could subject them to unnecessary hardship.

According to him, the state government, through the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission, is expanding access to quality healthcare for senior citizens, with plans to fully integrate all registered pensioners into the scheme. He also hinted that ongoing road projects across the state are designed to improve accessibility and ease the movement of all citizens, including the elderly.

In his remarks, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, praised the governor for what he described as unprecedented commitment to pensioners’ welfare, declaring him “the pensioners’ loving governor.”

Osunyemi said Aiyedatiwa had rescued retirees from years of neglect, noting that before his assumption of office, pensioners suffered irregular and percentage-based payments, as well as unpaid gratuities.

“He has implemented our 30 per cent pension harmonisation, ensured full payment of pensions, and raised the minimum pension to N30,000 monthly. No pensioner in Ondo State now earns below 35,000,” Osunyemi stated.

He added that the governor’s consistent payment of arrears dating back to 2010 and his pledge to clear all outstanding gratuities during his tenure had restored the pride and dignity of retirees in the state.

In appreciation, the pensioners conferred on Governor Aiyedatiwa the title of “Grand Patron” of the NUP — the first time such an honour would be bestowed on any sitting Governor in Ondo State.

Osunyemi, however, appealed to the government to rehabilitate the short access road leading to the Union’s Secretariat from Oda Road and to support the promotion of their 1,000-capacity event centre, which he said could serve as a revenue-generating facility for the Union.

The Chairman of the occasion, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo represented by a former Majority leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Araoyinbo applauded huge contributions of the retirees to the nation’s building over the years.

Meanwhile, the 2025 Pensioners’ Day celebration was attended by hundreds of retirees from across the state, government officials, and representatives of labour unions, all of whom lauded the Governor for transforming the welfare landscape of pensioners in Ondo State.