The Court of Appeal Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (CAADRC) has ordered the Kwara State Government to pay N502 million in deducted pension and gratuity arrears to 3,060 pensioners.

The administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki deducted the arrears in 2008, and the dispute dragged through the court system for 18 years before mediation resolved it.

The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, had referred the case to the CAADRC in Abuja on March 30, 2023.

Under the terms of settlement, the government agreed to pay 50 per cent of the outstanding N1.4 billion to 3,060 verified pensioners, including surviving retirees and authorised representatives of deceased beneficiaries.

The disbursement will be made directly to the beneficiaries under the supervision of the committee responsible for reconciling, verifying and clearing the pensioners.

The settlement also requires the State Ministry of Justice to notify the governor of the award within two weeks, while the State Pension Board is expected to request the release of the funds. The Ministry of Finance will facilitate payment after the governor’s approval.

The terms were adopted as the Court of Appeal’s judgment, bringing the dispute to a close.

Reacting, counsel to the pensioners, Deji Gbadeyan, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for approving the settlement through mediation, noting that the current administration did not deduct the funds but inherited the dispute.

However, he regretted that the case took 18 years to resolve, adding that many of the pensioners had died while others were now elderly. (The Nation)