Oyo Moves To End Fraud In Payment Of Retirees’ Gratuities

Following alleged fraud in the payment of gratuities to retirees, Oyo State government said it has put necessary measures in place to stop the fraudulent practice.

The state’s commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement on Friday said some pensioners in the state were being extorted by unscrupulous elements claiming to be government officials.

Oyelade said the state was doing due diligence to the payment of the gratuities for its retirees more than the previous administrations in the state.

The commissioner revealed that with the new monthly allocation, over 800 retirees would benefit each month, compared to just 250 beneficiaries in previous years.

He said that a cartel had been operating within the civil service and that the government was narrowing down on the criminals.

He said that retired civil and public servants were being asked to pay 5% to 10% of their gratuities to these cartels to fast-track payments.

“This malpractice is unfortunately longstanding. The issue has persisted over the years, even during the tenure of former governor, His Excellency Lam Adesina, and continues to affect unsuspecting pensioners till today.

“Those behind the extortions and their accomplices know themselves. Despite repeated warnings to pensioners to be cautious, some still fall victim to these schemes,” he said.

Oyelade said that these illegal practices are not limited to state pensions but also affect local government staff pensioners.

While highlighting government efforts to improve pension disbursement, the commissioner recalled that gratuities were not paid between 2011-2016 until Governor Seyi Makinde cleared the arrears.

He added that Makinde had increased monthly gratuity release by 200 percent, raising total allocations from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion monthly; hence, no back-door payment is required for the processing of gratuities or entitlements.

Oyelade urged retirees to follow the established system of monthly disbursement and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.