Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, officially flagged off the disbursement of ₦3.82 billion in gratuity payments to 985 state public service retirees.
The ceremony took place during the afternoon at the Cocoa Conference Hall, located within the Governor’s Office complex in Alagbaka, Akure.
The payment targets 509 retirees from the 2020 batch alongside 476 outstanding beneficiaries spanning the 2015 to 2019 batches. The beneficiaries include retired personnel drawn from the mainstream civil service, secondary school teaching and non-teaching staff, and various state parastatals.
Addressing the hall of senior citizens and state officials, Governor Aiyedatiwa described the financial intervention as “a debt of honour being discharged”. He noted that his administration inherited billions of Naira in backlogged gratuity obligations dating back to 2015.
”When our administration came into the saddle, we inherited billions of Naira in outstanding gratuity obligations covering the period from 2015 to date. We did not shy away from this burden. Today, we are taking another giant step forward. We remember your service, we respect your sacrifice, and we will not forget your entitlement.” Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa stated.
Government figures and labor leaders provided context on the administrative execution and impact of the funds.
Dr. Peter Akingbade (Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Pension Transition Office), confirmed that retirees from 2015 Batch C, 2016 Batch C, 2017 Batch C, 2018 Batch B, 2019 Batch B, and 2020 Batch A are receiving direct bank alerts for their full gratuity entitlements rather than piecemeal installments. He credited the milestone to the administration’s welfare-focused “OUR EASE” agenda.
Comrade Johnson Osunyemi (State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners): Praised the state executive council, stating that Ondo State has positioned itself as a national leader in systematically tackling backlogged terminal benefits owed to public sector workers.
Mrs. Nike Ogunbodede (Beneficiary Representative): Expressed gratitude on behalf of the 985 recipients, describing the full lump-sum payouts as a vital life line that restores dignity to the state’s elder statesmen and women.
The Pension Transition Office urged all remaining unregistered or unverified retirees from the covered batches to report to the office to finalize documentation for subsequent payment phases.
