Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, “in furtherance of his commitment to the welfare of the good people of Ogun State regardless of their political or religious leanings, will, on Wednesday, December 28, distribute severance allowance cheques to political appointees who served during the tenure of former Governor Gbenga Daniel between 2007 and 2011,” Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Mr. Adejuwon Soyinka, said.
He said in a statement on Sunday in Abeokuta that the cheque distribution exercise is billed to hold on from 11am on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at the Arcade ground, Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
The exercise, according to Soyinka, will also affect political appointees who served during the first term of office of Governor Amosun between 2011 and 2015.
He said: “To achieve this, the state government earmarked the sum of N1bn to clear the balance of severance allowance of political appointees who served between 2007 and 2011 as well as those who served between 2011 and 2015.
“The former political office holders are however not the only ones smiling to the banks during this Yuletide season.
“The State Government has also disbursed the sum of N6bn for the payment of gratuities to pensioners covering the periods between November 2012 and January 2014.
“This payment, which is already ongoing, will benefit not less than 2,429 retirees.
“It should be recalled that the Governor Amosun-led administration on assumption of office in 2011 started clearing inherited backlog of gratuities from 2007 and has now paid up till January 2014.
“Also not left out are the workers. The Governor Amosun-led administration has also disbursed the sum of N5.5bn for the payment of 6 months arrears of outstanding cooperative deductions to all categories of the workforce at both state and local government levels in Ogun.
“This is in addition to the early payment of December salaries and bonus as it is the usual practice of the Governor Amosun-led administration in Ogun State.
“In all, the Ogun State government has disbursed N12.5bn for the payment of gratuities, cooperative deductions arrears and severance allowance of former political office holders in the state.
“This was made possible largely due to the prudent management of scarce resources by Governor Amosun, as well as the receipt of N10.6bn by the Ogun State Government from the Paris Club refund, which the federal government recently shared to different states of the Federation.
“It is particularly worthy of note that whereas the federal government advised state governments to use only 50 per cent of the fund for payment of workers’ emolument, the Ogun State Governor has decided to spend it all on the workforce because of the love the governor has for the workers.
“So, Ogun State has not only expended the entire fund it received on the welfare of its workforce, both serving and retired, but it has also added N1.9bn all in a bid to put a smile on the faces of the people in this Yuletide.”
