…34 states owe backlog of gratuities, l27 burdened by unpaid pensions, l13 owe salaries
…We’re doing our best to clear them –State govts
No fewer than 34 outgoing, returning, and sitting governors are leaving a huge burden of unpaid gratuities, while 27 of them are being choked by unpaid multi-billion pension arrears.
Similarly, 13 states are burdened with a backlog of salary arrears and other unpaid benefits to their employees.
Investigations revealed that four states in the South-East, four in the South-West, and five Northern states owe workers salaries.
On pensions, five states in the South-West, five in the South-East, 15 in the North, and two in the South-South owe their retirees a backlog of accumulated pensions.
In the same vein, only about three states nationwide are believed not to owe gratuity to their pensioners.
Akeredolu’s intervention in Ondo
In Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who will finish his second term, next year, met a backlog of seven months’ salary arrears and has paid six, remaining of January 2017 and two months for local government workers.
Ondo State workers are owed N27 billion as gratuities while local government workers are owed N36 billion.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Victor Amoko, told Vanguard that “a special intervention by the governor was extended to address the huge outstanding arrears of gratuities being owed retirees from 2011 to 2023 with the release of N300 million to pay the gratuities on monthly basis.
Amoko said the gratuities had been paid up till 2014.
Oyebanji inherits N40bn unpaid gratuities in Ekiti
Similarly, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who began his first term last year, in Ekiti State, inherited from his predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, three months’ salary arrears for state civil servants, and four months’ salary arrears for local government workers.
Retirees were owed seven months’ pensions and unpaid N40 billion in gratuities.
However, Oyebanji has defrayed the arrears to one month for state civil servants and two months for the local government workers and paid three months’ arrears of pensions.
The State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Joel Akinola, put the total gratuities at over N40 billion since August 13, 2013, noting that the Governor released N500 million for state pensioners, and N138 million for local government pensioners, which are being disbursed to the beneficiaries.
Akinola said that “Governor Oyebanji has approved a tranche of N700 million to offset part of the gratuities for state pensioners and N250 million to offset part of the local government pensioners.
Ogun owes 18 months’ salary deductions
In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun owes civil servants 18 months’ salary deductions such as Union dues, cooperative deductions, and pension (Contributory Pension Scheme).
The State Secretary of NUP, Mr Bola Lawal, said out of N68 billion that Governor Abiodun inherited from Ibikunle Amosun’s government, he has paid N3.6 billion.
Adeleke battles N76bn arrears in Osun
The accumulated salary arrears and pensions that Governor Ademola Adeleke, who took over from Gboyega Oyetola, in Osun, last November, is owing serving and retired workers are put at N76billion.
However, the gratuity owed to non-contributory pensioners is not clear yet as the Ministry in charge has not made the amount public.
Pensions, gratuities last paid in 2015 in Oyo
Returning Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State does not owe workers in both the state and local governments services.
However, the state NLC chairman, Kayode Matins, said pensions and gratuities were last paid by the state government in 2015.
According to him, “l would have loved to give you the details, but I don’t have access to the files now to give the accurate figure of the outstanding pensions and gratuities.”
Lagos workers demand pension entitlements since 2020
In Lagos, while officials of the state government said the government owes no salary, pension, or gratuity, the chairman of Lagos State Council of NLC, Funmi Sessi, last May Day, said: “We wish to acknowledge and appreciate the improvement you (Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu) brought about in the monthly bond allocation since the inception of your administration in 2019 and the April 2023 for payment of N5 Billion to 1,800 retirees in Lagos State.
“We also demand immediate payment of all the backlog of pensions entitlement (bond) from 2020 till date.”
Gratuities, pension burden in S/South
All the six state governments in the South-South zone have been consistent in the payment of monthly salaries to workers but none is up to date in the payment of gratuities and pensions to retired workers, except Akwa-Ibom which also pays pensions monthly.
Government officials were, however, hesitant to reveal the total figure, especially gratuities the different states owe workers, which had piled up over the years.
N7bn gratuities unpaid in Akwa Ibom
In Akwa Ibom State, the immediate past Governor, Udom Emmanuel, did not owe workers monthly salaries and pensions.
