Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has approved the total sum of N12.5 billion for the payment of gratuities, cooperative deductions arrears and severance allowance of former Political office holders in the state.

This was disclosed, on Wednesday, by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, while addressing a press conference at the Governor’s office, Oke Mosan.

Giving a breakdown of the payments, Adeoluwa said N5.5bn has been disbursed for the payment of 6 months arrears of outstanding cooperative deductions to all categories of the workforce.

Another N6bn was disbursed for the payment of gratuities to pensioners covering the period between November 2012 and January 2014. The SSG explained that the gratuity payment would benefit not less than 2,429 retirees.

It should be recalled that the Governor Amosun-led administration on assumption of office in 2011 started clearing the backlog of gratuity payments from 2007 and has now paid up till January 2014.

The SSG added that the state government has also approved the payment of N1bn to clear the balance of severance allowance due to political office holders who served the immediate past administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel between 2007 and 2011 as well as those who served between 2011 and 2015.

Explaining the source of the fund, the Secretary to the State Government said, it came from the N10.6bn Ogun State government received from the Paris Club refund, which the federal government recently shared to different states of the Federation.

He explained that whereas the federal government advised state governments to use only 50 per cent of the fund for payment of workers’ emolument, the Ogun State Governor has decided to spend it all on the workforce because of the love the governor has for the workers.

“Ogun State is not only using the entire fund it received but has also added N1.9bn,” the SSG said. He added that this was aside the fact that the state government, in its usual practice, has paid December 2016 salary plus 13th month salary to all categories of workers at both state and local government levels.

Barr. Adeoluwa therefore thanked the entire civil servants in the state for their endurance while “affirming that the welfare of our workers is paramount to us.” The SSG added that government would continue to do all within its power to cater for the civil and public servants.

•Governor Amosun.

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