N15bn debt: Ondo pensioners give Mimiko 4 days ultimatum

 PENSIONERS in Ondo State yesterday gave the state government four days ultimatum to pay their gra­tuities and pension arrears or face their wrath.

The pensioners, who re­tired from the civil service, teaching service and local government service at a meeting held in Akure, the state capital, said the ulti­matum became necessary, as all entreaties made to the government yielded no result.
Secretary of Akure chap­ter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners
(NUP), Mr. Funso Odere, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, said none of those who retired since 2011 had received their gratuity.
Odere said the total in­debtedness of the state government to the pen­sioners in terms of gratuity aside the monthly pension was about N15 billion.
“Certain amount of money is being deducted from our monthly pension which is illegal. They said the money is being paid to consultant. It is the state government that should pay the consultant and not the pensioners. They should stop these illegal deductions and pay us the money deducted from our monthly pension,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government has increased the number of primary school teachers with 900 National Certificate in Ed­ucation (NCE) holders.
The state’s Commission­er for Information, Kayode Akinmade, said the 900 new teachers were rede­ployed from the local gov­ernment service into the state’s Universal Basic Ed­ucation Board (SUBEB) to address the need for more teachers in primary schools across the state.
He disclosed that a three-day refresher course for the teachers was hold­ing in four zones in the state with a centre each in Ondo, Akure, Okitipupa and Ikare. The course ends today.