Victor EzejaOyo State pensioners have applauded Governor Seyi Makinde for reviewing their pensions, making them the highest-paid state pensioners in Nigeria.
The pensioners who converged on the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Thursday, expressed appreciation to the state governor for turning around their fortunes through the recent review of pensions in the state.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAccording to a statement signed by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media to the Oyo State Governor, the pensioners, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, stated that the review has led to the payment of N25,000 as minimum pension to the least paid pensioner.
The pensioners equally noted other gestures of the governor towards reducing the plight of pensioners such as factoring of 33 per cent pension increase of 2010, the consequential adjustment of 2019, 20 per cent of pension increase, and part of N32,000 minimum wage across board for Oyo State pensioners.
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The South-West NUP, in a letter dated 12th February 2025 and signed by its chairman Comrade Waidi Oloyede and secretary, Comrade Sunday Akin, expressed gratitude to the governor.
Speaking at the appreciation rally, the Secretary of the NUP, Oyo State Council, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, commended the governor for addressing the plight of pensioners.
Abatan noted that the governor has since his assumption of office in 2019 been paying gratuities that were “criminally held down for a whole eight years.”
According to him, Governor Makinde started paying pensions on the 25th of every month and crowned the efforts with the latest review of pensions after previous administrations failed to do so despite all entreaties.
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He maintained that for about 16 years before Makinde took over as governor, no government was sympathetic to the plights of pensioners, making them an object of ridicule as they were dying like fowls plagued by Newcastle disease. “Gratuities were not paid as and when due, pensions of those times were withheld or paid in installments and all entreaties to the governments fell on deaf ears, resulting in massive deaths of our members.
“You have not disappointed us. Our pensions became regular; you started paying our gratuities that were criminally held down for a whole eight years because we were alleged not to have voted for them,” Abatan stated while addressing the governor.
He recalled that some pensioners were earning between N350-N1,000 as monthly pensions as the previous administration refused all entreaties to upwardly review their pensions in line with extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which stipulated that pensions should be increased in tandem with economic realities.
Responding, Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, said his government remains committed to the welfare of pensioners and improvement of their standard of living.
The governor commended the pensioners and their leadership for showing gratitude to his government, stating that his government knows the importance of prioritising the welfare of pensioners, who had contributed 35 years of their lives to the development of the state during their active service years.
He noted that in 2019, the gratuities and pension arrears owed by past administrations were to the tune of about N61 billion, but his government has been able to offset a huge chunk of the debt, declaring that the administration would offset the debt before the expiration of its second tenure in May 2027.
The governor, who was delighted by the gathering of the pensioners said it was uncommon to see pensioners gather to “express appreciation to any government.”
“So, this is quite unprecedented and it is because of what this administration has done for them in terms of improving the welfare of pensioners in Oyo State,” he noted.
“What we did as an administration was to look at all the circumstances — socio-economic and others and to say, okay, what will be the living pension for our pensioners? So, we fixed what we consider as a living pension which, in fact, was enough average for our pensioners.
“To that extent, they felt they must come and show appreciation. What they have done this morning was a testament of appreciation, which would also make the government look into other areas where they can have an advantage.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
