Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Right Honourable
Kola Oluwawole, on Tuesday, expressed sympathy with
pensioners who are unable to access their entitlements, declaring that it is bad to watch them die fighting for their entitlements.
According to a release by his Special ASssistant (Media), Stephen Gbadamosi, the Speaker expressed this feeling during plenary while reacting to contributions of members to debate over the Second Reading of the Ekiti State Pension Bill 2017 at the Assembly Chambers in
Ado-Ekiti.
“It is a fact that it is very crucial and important not only to give
relief to those who have diligently served the state or any
organization, but also to give them access to their funds as and when
due.
“This Bill will stop the sudden death they experience as a result of inability to access their gratuities, which is a bad development. It will stop the agony that the retirees are passing through in the process of collecting their retirement benefits, especially when it comes to the area of data capturing, among many other problems being faced by retirees that it will solve,” he said.
The Speaker charged relevant committees of the House to expedite action on the Bill, disclosing that it would also pass through public hearing before it became law.
The House also received the report of its Committee on Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on allegation of illegal
replacement of High Chief L.O. Akinyede’s name in the list of advisers in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state between 2004 and 2007.
Chairman of the committee, Honourable Anifowose Badejo, said having subjected the submission of both the petitioner and the respondents to “critical analysis, moral consideration and intelligent scrutiny,”.
the committee recommended the confirmation of Chief Akinyede as “the authentic Special Adviser, who satisfied all the prerequisites stated by the Edict of Local Government to get gratuity and severance allowances after three years of meritorious service.”
He added that it was recommended further that the gratuity and part of the severance allowance “illegally collected/obtained by the respondent, Mr Dayo Olokesusi, should be refunded to the government coffers within three months.”
