Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has approved the disbursement of another N1.9B gratuity to Local Government Pensioners, in a show of concern for the well-being of the senior citizens.

Governor Abiodun had in August this year directed the Bureaux of Local Government Pensions and the State Pension to commence the payment of N1Billion to the senior citizens.

Reacting to the Governor’s directive over the disbursement of gratuity to the senior citizens during a meeting with the executives of Local Government Retiree Associations, Association of Retired Primary School Teachers (ARPSTOS), Local Government Pensioners Association (LOGPAN) and Retired Primary School Teachers Association of Nigeria (REPSTAN), held in her office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mrs. Olubukola Adeniregun, said the present dispensation is not handling pensioners matters with levity.

She noted that the present administration was deeply concerned about the big gap concerning the payment of gratuity between Local Government and State Government retirees, positing that the gesture was the Governor's passionate consideration of the various appeals and clarion calls to bridge the gap, adding that a total of 685 retirees would benefit from the recent disbursement.

Adeniregun also pointed out that it takes only a well-meaning Government to be concerned about the status of those, who have served the State diligently in the course of their service, adding that Governor Dapo Abiodun remains resolute about enhancing the living standard of the Local Government Retirees, particularly to be at parity in the scheme of remuneration and other welfare packages with State pensioners.

"From his inception as the Governor of Ogun State, you will agree with me that Prince Dapo Abiodun has lived up to his promises for the senior citizens. Need I remind you that, he was the Governor who raised the quarterly payment of gratuity of pensioners from N500m to N1billion, and as we speak, the pensioners were also included in the 6-month extension of cash palliative being paid to serving workers on a monthly basis", she said.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Foluke Salami and Mr. Noah Bakare, who retired as primary school teachers and a Local Government worker respectively, appreciated the Governor for the payment, imploring him to continue the disbursement of their gratuity, so that other pensioners still on the waiting list can also benefit.