Edo begins payment of pension arrears to LG workers

The Edo State Government has commenced the payment of pension arrears it owed retired Local Government workers between 1984 and 2021.

In a statement, the Edo State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Hon. Monday Osaigbovo, said the payment which began on February 23, would be paid in batches.

He said the payment is in furtherance of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and retirees in the state.

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Osaigbovo noted, “In line with the government promise in our earlier letter dated January 20, 2023 (LGSPB/469/T1/91), the Local Government Staff Pensions Board has started the payment in batches of the huge pension arrears owed to her retired local government workers in the state between 1984 and 2021.”

The government’s commitment to the retirees is in line with the ongoing revamp of the state’s civil and public service, engendering responsive and technology-driven service delivery and governance models, thereby impacting greatly on the lives and productivity of the state’s public workers.

He noted that the state government has spent over N25 billion in clearing the pension arrears of pensioners in the state.

“The Edo state government has also implemented the Contributory Pension Scheme, as against the Derived Benefits Scheme. This ensures that civil servants are well-catered for after their active years in service.

The state has further initiated a Group Life Insurance Policy for its civil servants and has paid over N500 million to families of deceased civil servants,” Osaigbovo concluded.

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