The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has come under fire from the state’s pensioners for failing to pay their gratuities and other benefits, totaling roughly N68 billion.
On Sunday, Abiodun accused his predecessors, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, of being responsible for the state’s unpaid gratuities. He also urged pensioners not to defame him because of the debt.
The backlog of gratuities, according to Abiodun, are all inherited responsibilities from past administrations.
The governor said that more than N16 billion would have been saved if his forerunners had taken the same action starting in 2011.
The state’s Nigerian Union of Pensioners, however, denounced the governor on Monday, saying that “He who enjoys assets must not disclaim liabilities.”
Abiodun was required to pay the debt, according to a statement signed by the State Chairman, Waheed Oloyede, and the Secretary, Bola Lawal, since governance was an ongoing process.
He claimed that Prince Dapo Abiodun glorified himself by paying N2.5 billion in gratuity out of the outstanding N68 billion during his three years in service.
“It is unfortunate that Governor Abiodun sees himself as a champion compared with other State Governors who assumed office as the first timer like Abiodun and have performed marvelously well, such as Alhaji Baba Zulum of Borno State, who cleared N15 billion in his first release. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as of now has paid more than N18.5 billion in gratuity to Oyo State pensioners, yet they met the debts on the assumption of office.”
Governor Abiodun is required to pay N500 million in gratuities every three months. For 2022, there are still two unpaid quarters.
