Obaseki to meet Edo pensioners over unpaid pensions

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo will meet members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Edo Chapter, with a view to amicably resolving all pension payments-related issues, an official has said.

Mr Osagiator Ojo, the Head of Administration, Oredo Local Government Council, made the disclosure when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Obaseki at Government House in Benin on Tuesday.

Ojo said the meeting, which would be attended by representatives of local government and state government pensioners, was necessary to correct the misinformation about pension payments by the present administration.

“Government has observed with dismay the gross misinformation that has characterised the payment of pensions in the state.

“The governor, therefore, would wish to engage the union leadership or the pensioners both at the local and state levels to ensure that this gross misinformation is dispelled and all issues arising to the controversies bothering on pension payments are amicably resolved,” he said.

Ojo said that the 18 local governments in the state jointly contributed N212. 88 million in August for the payment of pensions and contributed N244. 09 million in September for the same purpose.

He said that total allocation accrued to the 18 local governments in September and shared in October was N2.55 billion out of which N1. 46 billion was mandatory expenditure.

Ojo said that there was significant increase in internal generated revenue by the local governments from N85. 03 million in September to N115.54 million in October.

He said the governor had directed that a seven-man committee be set up to keep the state government abreast of the crime situation in the different parts of the state.