The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun has approved an immediate increase in the quarterly payment of gratuity from ₦1 billion to ₦2 billion.
This increase represents 100 per cent in aggregate for both the state and local government pensions.
The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pensions, Adesoji Adewuyi disclosed this in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He explained that the development was aimed at easing the hardship plaguing senior citizens in the face of present socio-economic challenges in the country.
Adewuyi disclosed that government had also set aside three per cent of the gratuity for pensioners with urgent medical needs or hospital bills.
Speaking further, Adewuyi revealed that the state government has constituted a Consequential Adjustment Committee, with a directive to review the pensioners’ monthly income in line with the present economic reality.
According to the permanent secretary, under the new arrangement, monthly pensions, which statutorily should be reviewed every five years, would now be ₦10,000 for those earning below the benchmark.
“In 2023, the governor approved the payment and it is being paid pending the conclusion of the general review of the monthly pension by the Consequential Adjustment Committee,” he said.
In his response, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP, Waheed Oloyede, expressed gratitude to Governor Abiodun, for deeming it fit to increase the quarterly gratuity.
