Ogun disburses N12.5bn to offset 2-year gratuities, salary deductions

The Ogun State Government says it has begun the immediate disbursement of N12.5 billion to offset the accumulated two-year gratuities to pensioners who retired from active civil and public service from 2012 to 2014 as well as the payment of arrears of six months workers’ salary deductions.

The disbursement which began today (Wednesday) also covers the balance of severance packages to former political appointees who served during the immediate past administration of Governor Gbenga Daniel as well as political appointees who served during the first tenure of the presenet Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration (2011 to 2015).

Speaking on the disbursement of N12.5 billion on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, Taiwo Adeoluwa, the Secretary to the State Government, also disclosed that government had paid December salaries of all categories of workers in its employ and had approved the December bonus for them, but did not disclose percentage of the December bonus.

Giving the breakdown of disbursement, Adeoluwa said the total amount expended by government on the payment of the six months’ workers’ unremitted deductions was N5.5 billion and the accumulated ‎gratuities to pensioners from November 2012 to January 2014 gulped N6 billion out of N12.5 billion, saying 2,429 pensioners who were paid, got 100 percent payment of their gratuities.

He added that government also paid N1 billion to offset the balance of severance allowance of government’s political appointees who served the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel between 2007 and 2011, but did not disclose how much the government paid to to pay political appointees’ severance allowance, who served the current administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun between 2011 and 2015.

When Adeoluwa was asked about the source of the fund disbursed despite dwindling revenue, he said that the State government had to augment the money released to by the Federal Government to the state recently through the Paris Club fund from the savings it had made, adding: “The President Muhammadu Buhari administration is desperate to minimise hardship on Nigerians.

“FG released some funds to states and Ogun State is also among. What we got was far less to the total amount of N12.5 billion we have paid to pensioners on workers’ deductions and that of ex- political appointees.

“We have also paid December salaries and the bonus to workers. We only got N10.6 billion from the Federal Government.”