Reviewing Ogun’s welfare package for senior citizens

One of the realities of life is that every worker, after a particular time, will retire from active service either due to length of service or age. It is therefore expected that their selfless service and commitment will attract ultimate reward, as exemplified by the maxim “rest is sweet after labour”.

This alludes to the belief that anyone who has conscientiously discharged his or her duties deserves nothing but a highly rewarding rest after such glorious service.  Naturally, this is supposed to be the fate of every senior citizen who has faithfully served their state meritoriously by contributing to its growth and development.

This is why a reward mechanism was instituted to promote workers’ wellbeing at retirement from active service and also ensure they have some financial rewards to rely upon  without being left to languish at old age, and this is simply known as “Pension” and “gratuity”.

As a matter of fact, Pension is the annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, in consideration of past services, originally by a government and also by various private pension schemes. In other words, it is often used as a retirement planning tool to provide predictable income stream in retirement. On the other hand, gratuity is a lump sum benefit an employer must provide as a form of reward to an employee upon retirement, resignation or death.  Unlike Pensions, which is paid continuous over the remaining lifetime of retirees, gratuity is a one time payment.

To successfully achieve this, government created the Bureaux of State and Local Government Pensions to promote a pensioner-friendly atmosphere, with innovations, aimed at increasing their life expectancy. These Bureaux are being managed  by professional administrators, schooled, selfless, dedicated and cultured staff for seamless services.

The main objectives of setting up  the Bureaux are to effectively ensure  seemless pension administration through the use of modern technologies, critical needs assessment and service delivery, commensurate with excellence in the interest of the retirees.

In view of this, the Ogun State government, considering the unwavering plan to improve the living standard of retirees under Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS), in full agreement with the National Provisions, has continued to prioritise the welfare and wellbeing of pensioners both in the State and Local Government services.

It is on record, that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration, being a  pensioner friendly governor, has initiated a periodic payment plan to settle the long standing gratuity arrears, exceeding 8 years owed to retireness.

Some of the commitment to pensioners wellbeing in Ogun state are the commencement of the Five Hundred Million Naira (N500,000,000.00) quarterly disbursement of gratuity which was introduced by this present administration and was also increased to Six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000.00) and later reviewed upward to One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000.00) in 2023. The government equally upgraded the monthly minimum pension from Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) to Thirty thousand naira (N30,000.00).

In order to make life more meaningful and fulfilling for the senior citizens, the present administration, magnanimously approved the disbursement of part -payment of gratuity to pensioners with health challenges, to enable them access quality healthcare service and live a healthy life.

Other pensioners’ welfare package include the payment of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) palliative given to them, which attests to the fact that the present dispensation in the State is not only concerned about the wellbeing of serving workers, but also about the welfare of retirees. The essence of the palliative was to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the citizens and most especially pensioners.

As a result of the existing wide gap in payment of gratuity between the State and Local Government retirees, the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration bridged the gap with the release of One Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira (N1,900,000,000.00),through which Six Hundred and Eighty-five (685) retired Local Government Staff and Primary School Teachers were beneficiaries.  By doing so, the government had again demonstrated its commitment to equity and equalization of opportunities.

Recently, Governor Abiodun again increased the quarterly gratuity disbursement from N1billion to N2billion, which is the current disbursement for the senior citizens, as well as ensured that pensioners were equally beneficiaries of the  Federal and State Government’s sales of subsidized rice.

Another applaudable development in the anals of the present dispensation, was the N2.64bn gratuity disbursement to local government retirees in the state to help   alleviate the ongoing economic downturn.

Mention must be made of the Christmas bonus for the State civil servants, a largesse the  Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun  extended to the senior citizens by given Twenty thousand naira ( N20,000) across board to them to have a joyous Christmas.

It is therefore pertinent to note that as government remains determined at ensuring that neither State nor Local Government workers  go through hardship or any form of agony after their active service, intending retirees must submit all necessary retirement papers six months before their exit from service to their various Pension Bureaux.

This step will enable Pension administrators at state and Local Governments to take prompt action in the preparation to work out their retirement benefits, to  facilitate quick payment of monthly pensions and disbursement of gratuities as soon as funds were made available.

Beyond the efforts of the present administration at making life meaningful and abundant at old age, it should be stressed that retirees also have a great role to play in improving their own welfare by retiring into a well planned life style and also engage in little businesses.

For example Pensioners should endeavour to eat healthy foods, go for regular medical checkups, avoid stressful activities, engage in manageable investment, meet friendly people to share ideas and completely desist from smoking and the temptation of alcohol intake.  It is advisable that Pensioners should ensure judicious use of money among other resources at their disposals as this would help them to  live a fulfilling long life devoid of financial challenges.

Besides, family members and the society at large, should understand their nature and show them love,  and care, as the saying goes, “A worker today will become a pensioner tomorrow”.