Kwara Governor Promises Permanent Secretariat and Bus for Pensioners

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has announced plans to provide pensioners in the state with a permanent secretariat and a bus. He made this promise during a meeting with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, shared the news in a statement. AbdulRazaq noted that the current office of the pensioners was only secured temporarily, meaning they could be asked to leave at any time.

He stated, “What you were given before was a certificate of temporary occupancy. They didn’t give you actual allocation, which meant that you were there temporarily and at the will of the government, they would move you.” He assured the pensioners that he would work with the Head of Service to find them a permanent location and address their rent issues.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Hauwa Nuru, added that the government is current with pension payments and is making provisions for gratuities. She explained that some retirees did not receive their pensions between 2015 and 2018 because they did not take part in a required verification process.

The chairman of the pensioners’ union, Mahmud Saidu, praised the governor for improvements in pension management since he took office in May 2019. Saidu highlighted that previous administrations had left pensioners with unpaid salaries and pension arrears.

He said, “When you came in, you met us with amputated salary, pensions… Since May 2019 when you came in, we have been getting our salary on or before 25th of every month. You are not owing us any kobo.”