The Ondo State Government has commenced the payment of N3.82 billion in gratuities to 985 retirees of the state public service, covering the 2020 retirement batch and outstanding beneficiaries from 2015 to 2019.

The payment was flagged off on Wednesday by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure.

The beneficiaries comprise 509 retirees from the 2020 batch and 476 retirees from the 2015–2019 batches, drawn from the mainstream civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as various state parastatals.

Aiyedatiwa described the payment as “a debt of honour being discharged” to workers who devoted their productive years to the development and service of the state.

The governor said his administration inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations dating from 2015, but resolved to confront the burden rather than allow it to persist.

“When our administration came to the saddle, we inherited billions of naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date. We did not shy away from this burden. Rather, we confronted it with courage, responsibility and a clear understanding that governance is not only about initiating new projects; it is equally about confronting inherited challenges and resolving them,” he said.

He said the administration had successfully defrayed outstanding gratuities for beneficiaries between 2015 and 2019, adding that the commencement of payment to the 2020 batch represented another major step in clearing the backlog.

“Today, we are taking another giant step forward with the flag-off of payment to retirees of the year 2020. We give all glory to Almighty God for the grace and enablement to fulfil this important obligation,” Aiyedatiwa said.

The governor stressed that the payment was not merely a financial intervention but a demonstration of his administration’s appreciation of retired workers.

“We remember your service; we respect your sacrifice; and we will not forget your entitlement,” he said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transition Office, Dr Peter Akingbade, disclosed that retirees from the 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B and 2020 Batch A were included in the payment.

According to him, beneficiaries had already begun receiving bank alerts and would receive their full gratuity entitlements rather than partial payments.

Akingbade described the development as a significant milestone capable of bringing relief, dignity and renewed hope to retirees, attributing the payment to the governor’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens under the administration’s OUR EASE agenda.

He commended the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowunmi Isaac, and the Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya, for their contributions towards the implementation of the payment.

The permanent secretary said the gratuity payment process remained continuous, urging retirees who were yet to complete their verification and documentation to do so.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Nike Ogunbodede expressed appreciation to the governor, describing the payment as a remarkable development.

Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Comrade Johnson Osunyemi, commended the administration, saying Ondo State was among the leading states in the country in clearing the backlog of gratuities owed to retired workers.

The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; APC State Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya; members of the State Executive Council; labour leaders; permanent secretaries; political appointees and other government officials.