BY RITA OYIBOKA
The Delta State Government has added another milestone to its list of people-centred achievements by clearing the backlog of over 11,000 local government pensioners.
This was revealed by the Chairman of the Delta State Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mr. Benjamin Igo, who described the intervention as a “game-changer” in resolving years of accumulated pension arrears that had left many retired primary school teachers and local government staff in financial distress.
The Chairman, speaking in an interview with The Pointer, noted that this was made possible following the release of a ₦40 billion loan facilitated by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori who “gave approval to the local government chairmen to syndicate the loan.”
He explained that by 2023, the backlog of unpaid pensions stood at about ₦51 billion, prompting the state to initiate a loan process under former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. However, the move was not finalised before he left office.
“Governor Oborevwori, during his campaign, promised to end the suffering of pensioners, and he kept his word. Upon assumption of office, he finalised the ₦40 billion loan process and persuaded the local government chairmen to syndicate it. They agreed, obtained the loan, and released the funds to us. That was what enabled us to start clearing the backlog,” Igo said.
He added that an additional ₦1.8 billion was later provided to sustain payments, and a fresh ₦1.5 billion proposal has been submitted to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) to pay retirees from October 2024 to April 2025.
According to him, the board has now paid pensioners up to September 2024, while documentation for the next batch is under verification.
Emphasising transparency, Igo said payments were strictly processed on a “first-come, first-served” basis. “Once your documents are processed and entered into our system, you are paid strictly on a first-come, first-served basis, not by when you retired. If you retired three years ago but only just submitted your papers, you will be behind someone who retired yesterday and submitted theirs immediately.
“We even call pensioners ourselves to come and collect their certificates when it is their turn. Our system is transparent. Anyone caught soliciting money would face severe disciplinary action,” he asserted.
Igo further disclosed that the Board has embarked on a sensitisation tour of local governments with representatives from PenCom and PFAs to educate workers on the contributory pension scheme and the need for proper documentation.
He went on to advise civil servants to plan ahead for life after retirement, affirming that “every job has an exit point.”
