After splashing over 3.5 billion Naira on pensioners, Ekiti Governor, Biodun Oyebanji was in Lagos for the S/W APC Assembly where he publicly urged Support for Tinubu’s Reform Agenda.
President Tinubu since taking office has embarked on drastic reforms across board, with citizens groaning under a painful inflation. The presidency has consistently promised that the pain is only temporary.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has now called on the Yoruba Nation to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s administration in its bid to implement key reforms aimed at revitalizing the country.
The Governor made this appeal on Saturday during the Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC) Assembly, held at Eko Hotel, Lagos where past and present officeholders and political leaders from the six states in the region gathered to chat the way forward for the party.
Governor Oyebanji emphasized that the Yoruba people must play a leading role in defending the transformative policies of the current administration, assuring that the present economic challenges would soon be overcome.
Stressing that the policies and programmes being introduced by the President are crucial to rescuing the nation from its current difficulties, Oyebanji urged the Yoruba race to seize the moment to demonstrate unity and showcase the region’s renowned human capital, rather than allowing negative narratives to prevail.
“I just want to plead with us, that we have a sacred duty to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. History has put it on our shoulders now to stand by him. We don’t have a choice other than to give him our total support. We, from the south West don’t have a choice.
“It is not in our place to criticize this Government. We have access to the President through the Governors, through our party leaders. And if there are things we feel strongly about, we should put heads together and look for the right channel to pass it across to him. This is because we don’t know when we will have this kind of opportunity again.
“I also hope that one of the resolutions of this meeting will be to go back to our various states and replicate this kind of forum at every level.” Governor Oyebanji remarked
In his keynote address at the event, immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, reflected on the historical struggles of the Yoruba people for political prominence at the national level. He encouraged the Yoruba to remain.
It can be recalled that just few hours back, Governor Oyebanji showered 3.5 billion Naira gratuity on retirees at the 2024 pensioners day.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, on Saturday brought joy to the faces of retirees by distributing gratuity cheques to the tune of N3.5 billion on a day they were marking this year’s edition of Pensioners’ Day.
At the ceremony which was marked at the Great Eagle Hall, Ikere Road, Ado Ekiti, over 500 pensioners benefitted from the latest tranche of payment with N2.3 billion gratuity paid to state pensioners while local government pensioners got N1.2 billion gratuity.
With the payment of gratuity to the latest batch of pensioners, Governor Oyebanji’s commitment to defraying of outstanding gratuity has seen the backlog cleared to March 2015 up from payment up to 2012 he met on assumption of office in October, 2022.
The gesture drew a deafening applause from the appreciative pensioners inside the hall who prayed for the Governor and expressed their readiness to keep him in office with their votes at the next governorship election describing him as a “pensioners-friendly Governor and “elders-friendly Governor.”
At the event, the retirees, through the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ekiti State Chapter, Mr. Joel Akinola, took time to reel out lots of goodies that pensioners have so far enjoyed from the Oyebanji Administration in the last two years.
Governor Oyebanji also assured on the readiness of his administration to commence the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000 which he described as a law that must be obeyed. He however noted that a little delay is being experienced in the state owing to the need to capture pensioners, teachers, state workers and local government workers together.
The Governor said: “On the payment of your gratuity, I don’t think I have done anything spectacular. You are my parents and it is only a bastard that will not treat his parents well. My late mum died as a pensioner and my father who is at home is one of you.
“Whatever we are doing for you is not a favour, it’s your right because you worked for it. It is my desire that you are alive to collect your gratuity and every other entitlement that is due to you. Out of the three months arrears of local government pensioners, I have approved one month and we will deal with the remaining two months.
“As at date our administration had paid the sum of Five Billion, Four Hundred Million (N5,400,000,000) to One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Six (1,796) State Pensioners and the sum of Two Billion, One Hundred and Seventy Nine Million, One Hundred and Ten Thousand, forty Six Kobo (N2,179,110,000.46) to Eight Hundred and Ninety One (891) pensioners at the Local Government level.
“Today, I will be flagging off additional payment of Two Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira (N2.3b) to State Pensioners and One Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira (N1.2b) to Local Government Pensioners totalling Three Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira (N3.5b). This is another demonstration of our administration’s commitment to your welfare. I urge you to continuously pray for the success of this administration so that we shall continue to do more for you.”
“After we might have paid (the beneficiaries of today), the gratuity payment will reach March 2015. We will continue to pay gratuity to our pensioners. Your prayers over me are getting answered, the only thing I need from you is your prayer.”
The Governor hailed President Bola Tinubu for his support for Ekiti State in allowing the State to get what was due to it while he also commended the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akintunde Oyebode, for offering quality advice on setting aside certain amount of money to enable the state clears more backlog of retirees’ entitlements.
While restating the commitment of his administration to regular payment of monthly pensions and offset of the backlog of arrears of gratuity, Governor Oyebanji also urged the pensioners to register under the State Health Insurance Scheme for them to have access to free health services at state-owned health centres.
He disclosed that only 9,028 out of 28,000 pensioners have so far registered under the State Health Insurance Scheme urging those yet to register to do so with their National Identity Numbers (NIN).
Speaking earlier, the state NUT chair, Mr. Akinola, commended Governor Oyebanji for according priority to the welfare of pensioners noting that the Ekiti helmsman has done so much for retirees.
He showered encomiums on the Governor for ensuring the payment of pension before the 25th of every month, clearing the arrears of pension he met on ground, ensuring payment of deductions previously withheld, approving a monthly special wage award of N10,000 in addition to normal monthly pension and food palliatives to pensioners, among others.
The state NUP boss who described the latest tranche of gratuity paid as “humongous” said the Governor by his numerous gestures “have covered the nakedness of pensioners in the state” saying the state’s number one citizen should be celebrated for caring for retirees.
The NUP National President, Mr. Godwin Abumhese, said Governor Oyebanji has set the pace for other Southwest governors in the area of pensioners’ welfare saying the national body is happy with him for his gestures.
Abumhese said the national leadership of NUP would pay the Ekiti Governor an appreciative visit noting that Oyebanji has fulfilled his electoral promise to accord priority to pensioners”
