The Oyo State Government announced on Friday that it has paid gratuities to over 8,545 pensioners over the past six years.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Salihu Adelabu, during a live appearance on a television programme in Ibadan, the state capital. He attributed this achievement to a significant policy change implemented by the current administration under Governor Seyi Makinde.
According to Adelabu, the administration increased the monthly allocation for gratuity payments from ₦100 million to ₦1 billion, which substantially accelerated the settlement of outstanding gratuities and allowed more retirees to receive their entitlements in a timely manner.
He also noted that the introduction of an ₦80,000 minimum wage had a positive effect on pensioners’ benefits. He explained that recomputation exercises, covering retirees from July of the previous year to date, had resulted in fairer and improved payments, helping to ease the financial burden on pensioners.
“So far this year, 1,906 pensioners have received their full gratuities,” Adelabu stated. “Between May and August alone, approximately 1,500 retirees particularly those with gratuities ranging from ₦1 million to ₦3.5 million have been settled. In total, over 8,545 pensioners have received their gratuities within the last six years.”
He further assured retirees that Governor Makinde remains committed to their welfare, emphasizing the administration’s determination to clear all outstanding gratuity backlogs before the end of its tenure.
“The Governor has assured us that no backlog will be left behind. The welfare of our pensioners remains a top priority of this government,” Adelabu affirmed.
In a related development, on May 30, 2025, the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed in a statement that the state government has been consistently paying over ₦1 billion monthly in pensioners’ gratuities.
Oyelade also claimed that pensioners in Oyo State enjoy better benefits than their counterparts in other states, crediting this to Governor Makinde’s consistent payments since taking office in 2019.
“Pensioners in Oyo State are admired across the federation not only because they receive the same level of welfare attention as active civil servants but also because their pensions and entitlements increase in line with those of serving government workers,” Oyelade stated.
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