…APM candidate promises prompt payment of pensions, gratuities
Pensioners in Oyo State have declared that they would not want to return to what they described as the difficult years of unpaid pensions and gratuities, expressing satisfaction with the improved welfare they have enjoyed under the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.
The pensioners made the declaration during an interactive session with the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, at the Pension House, Agbarigo, Ibadan.
At the meeting, Adekanmbi assured the retirees that his administration, if elected in 2027, would sustain and improve upon the welfare policies and achievements of the Makinde administration, particularly in the prompt payment of pensions and gratuities.
He pledged that pensioners would continue to receive their monthly pension alerts not later than the 25th of every month, while promising to prioritise the timely settlement of all entitlements owed to retired workers.
Adekanmbi said his engagements across the state since emerging as the party’s candidate had provided him with the opportunity to understand the needs and expectations of different segments of the population.
“I have moved round the state on three occasions after my emergence as the candidate of our party, and I have been able to note what our people want. I have interacted with various segments of the society and put down their requests as well as my promises, which I call my charter with the people,” he said.
He described the welfare of pensioners as a responsibility he would not compromise, adding that Governor Makinde had raised the standard of pension administration in the state.
“It is a matter of compulsion for me to ensure the well-being of our pensioners. Seyi Makinde has raised the bar, and I have no choice but to continue with what is on ground and attempt to further raise the bar.
“I will also create time for interactions and engagements from time to time so as to have first-hand information on issues affecting pensioners in the state. As governor, I give you that assurance that I won’t be far away from you. Whatever I wouldn’t do, I won’t promise you,” he stated.
The APM candidate further promised to sustain the existing arrangement that guarantees the payment of pensions by the 25th of every month.
According to him, regular payment of salaries and pensions stimulates economic activities, strengthens purchasing power and supports commercial activities across markets in the state.
“I am standing before you today to make a pledge that under the government of Bimbo Adekanmbi, pensioners will not suffer. All your dues shall be promptly paid,” he assured.
Earlier, the Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State chapter, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, described the period before the emergence of Governor Makinde in 2019 as a difficult era for pensioners in the state.
Abatan said pension payments were irregular for 16 years before the present administration, while previous governments allegedly failed to implement constitutional provisions requiring pension adjustments whenever workers’ salaries were increased.
He disclosed that some pensioners received as little as N350 or N1,000 monthly during the period.
According to him, the Makinde administration raised the minimum pension in the state to N25,000 with effect from January 2025.
Abatan said the union considered it necessary to engage Adekanmbi to understand his plans for pensioners ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He noted that pensioners had enjoyed about seven and a half years of improved welfare, regular pension payments and the settlement of outstanding gratuities left by previous administrations.
“The saying on the lips of Oyo State pensioners, having enjoyed seven and a half years of unbroken peace, prompt payment of pensions and the clearing of unpaid gratuities left by past administrations, is that they don’t want to go back to ‘Egypt’,” he said.
He explained that the expression represented the pensioners’ determination not to return to a period characterised by unpaid pensions and gratuities, percentage payments and the alleged humiliation of being described as “dead but alive.”
The NUP secretary, who put the population of pensioners in the state at about 50,000, including their dependants, said the group constituted a significant voting bloc capable of influencing electoral outcomes.
He added that pensioners were prepared to support any governorship candidate whose agenda adequately addressed their welfare and interests.
The statement was signed by Yinka Oladoyinbo, Director of Communication and Spokesperson of the Oyo State APM Governorship Campaign Council.
