The Oyo State Government has announced that it would begin to offset the backlog of gratuity owed retired workers in the state from 2013 to June 2020.
The State Government also said it had paid the sum of N1.4bn from January to August this year, while a total of 1,500 youths were trained in leadership and digital governance.
The Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Prof. Daud Sangodoyin, asserted these in Ibadan on Thursday while having a session with journalists at his office.
He said it was the tradition of the current administration in the state to pay the accrued gratuity, while salaries, pensions and other emoluments would also be paid as and when due.
Sangodoyin, who assured retirees in the state that the administration had allocated 70 per cent of the monthly gratuity allocation to retires from June 2013, according to their dates of filing their retirement documents, added that 20 per cent from the fund would go to retirees from the Judicial Service Commission, while 10 per cent would be dedicated to retirees who fall under health and compassionate grounds.
He added, “The present administration has paid gratuity till August 2013, which amounts to N1.4bn, and we still have N26bn target to cover, which is our goal. Governor Seyi Makinde has made it clear that the welfare of workers and retirees will be paramount in his policy decisions and that is why you have seen the dedication he has for the monthly funding for the disbursement of gratuity.