Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State government says it has paid 5,886 retirees a sum of N16,631,759,666.02 as pension between February 2023 to April 2024.
According to the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, the payment was part of efforts by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to clear the backlog of pensions for retired workers.
Ayantayo spoke at the ongoing briefing to mark one year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
He however said since May 2019, a total of N63,702,967,870.37 has been paid to 19,814 retirees across various sectors like the mainstream service, local government, and parastatals.
Ayantayo added that another N4.5 billion has been approved by the governor as part of his promise to “systematically eliminate the backlogs.’
He further said a total of 3,882 and 3,756 pensioners were verified in the first and second exercises of online verification exercise, adding that due to unverified status, pensions for 2,530 pensioners were withheld in January 2024.
He, however, said a supplementary verification exercise in March and April 2024 verified 868 out of the withheld pensions.
On Public Service Staff Development Centre, PSSDC, he said the centre designed and implemented a total of 17 learning and development programmes for a total of 2, 476 staff of the public service.
He further said between May and December 2023, 1,300 pensioners received welfare packages which include food and stipends in the five divisions of the State.
Ayantayo gave assurance of the present administration’s full commitment to the welfare of retirees and the speedy resolution of all pension issues in the state.