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October: We have paid 3,783 retirees N8bn as gratuity – Oyo govt.
Oyo State government has disclosed that 3,783 retirees under the State’s civil service, judicial service, teaching, non-teaching, as well as the local government service commission and primary school retirees have been paid #8billion as gratuity till the month of October, 2020.
The Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Prof. Daud Kehinde Sangodoyin and the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission and Local Government Staff Pension Board, Hon. Aderemi Ayodele made this assertion separately to journalists in Ibadan on Monday.
Sangodoyin said the process of writing to go into retirement and getting issued pension authority certificate as well as being eligible to be paid gratuity was foolproof.
He hinted that 1304 among the retirees that belonged to the State’s main stream workforce like teaching, non-teaching, civil servants and those from the judicial service commission have been paid till October with Three Billion, Sixty Million Naira.
“We have paid 1304 retirees their gratuities from June 2019 to October 2020 and the amount paid is Three Billion and Sixty Million Naira, the beneficiaries are in the categories of teaching, non-teaching, the judicial service commission and the civil servants.
“The process is simple, you write that you are retiring and follow the due process till the papers get to the Auditor-General’s office and it gets back to the Ministry of Establishment where the pension authority certificate will be issued to the recipient, then the person is said to be eligible and on queue for his or her gratuity.
“There is no need for anybody to approach a middleman to help, it is first come, first served, we have reeled out helpline numbers for anyone that has questions or has seen or heard something against the laid down rules of engagement, the numbers are: 08056904055 and 07087647032.”
The Chairman, Local Government Service Commission and Local Government Pension Board, Hon. Aderemi Ayodele said the pension board has been the flagship of the present administration as major promises made by governor Seyi Makinde during the election campaign period to workers and retirees were met.
Aderemi elucidated that the total of #4,930,689,626.38 (Four billion, nine hundred and thirty million, six hundred and eighty-nine thousand, six hundred and twenty-six naira and thirty-eight kobo) has been paid to 2,459 retirees till October 2020.
“The pension board has been the flagship of this administration because it has been the area where the current government has been extremely diligent in living up to its promises, Governor Makinde promised during campaign that he would be paying workers salaries and pensions of retirees by the 25th of every month, while also seeing a way of settling the backlog of unpaid gratuities that ran into billions during the last administration, I want to thank God for the governor for living up to expectation.
“The governor pointedly told us that no retiree of Oyo State must die before his or her entitlement is paid to him or her, that is why we have evolved measures to give a certain percentage to retirees that is certified to be seriously sick and is waiting to be paid gratuity among the waiting list.”
On workers training, the Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Prof. Daud Sangodoyin added that the State government has released #47million for the ongoing first phase of training for workers in different categories in the areas of business writing, expanded Microsoft training, leadership skills training among others.
He maintained that the government has vowed to continuously measure the impact of the training on the system and the workforce.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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