The recent protest by pensioners against the payment of gratuities to retirees has been characterized as politically driven by Chris Nehikare, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation.
In his remarks to journalists in Benin City, the commissioner said as follows: “Last year, the state government paid N1 billion as a gratuity to pensions, and it has planned N15 billion to clear pension and gratuities in 2023.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential rally was conducted a day after the pensioners’ demonstration in Benin City, he claimed, proving that the protest was politically driven and organized. They were encouraged by the people who made sure their gratuity wasn’t given to them.
“The Edo State Government, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, has paid pensions and all pension arrears to those who were due them and to those who inherited pensions; as of today, no pensioner has been due one. Additionally, people who retired prior to 2016, when the current administration took office, are receiving their gratuities.
The pensioners with whom we are experiencing issues are individuals who left their positions during the governor Adams Oshiomhole-led administration, whose careless leadership gave rise to the pension issue that the Obaseki administration is working tirelessly to fix. We’ve been talking with the seniors about how to pay their gratuity. The Edo State Government gave 1 billion Naira in gratuities last year.
“We want people to understand that when these demonstrators claimed that no gratuity had been paid since 2011, they weren’t speaking the truth. We have begun making the back payments and have allocated an additional N1 billion to cover the unpaid gratuity arrears. The Edo State Government allots N100 million per month for the payment of gratuities. We planned N15.1 billion for pension and gratuity payments in 2023, he said.
He asserted that the claim that the Edo State Government owes pensioners gratuities is untrue since the state has already paid N1 billion to pensioners, and another N1 billion will be given to them in 2023.
“Some of these demonstrators who talked on television say their gratuity has not been paid since 2011,” the commissioner continued. Oshiomhole served in the executive branch from 2011 until 2016. Taking over in November 2016, Obaseki. None of those who complained retired after 2016 or 2017, but rather under Oshiomhole, who withheld their pension. Despite this, they all made themselves accessible to be used as a political tool to humiliate the Obaseki administration, but they were unsuccessful.
He claims that experts from all over the world have praised the Obaseki-led administration for its efficiency in handling gratuity issues as well as pension payments.
“We have a strategy of managing our resources to enable us to have a young, strong, and educated workforce, which are the young people of today,” he said. In order to take care of their gratuity and pension when they are going to retire and are enjoying it, we have moved them into a contributing pension system.