By Afolabi Samuel Odunayo
In a strategic move to address age-long agonies of pensioners in Edo State, the State Pension Bureau has rolled a screening process for the payment of about 900 pensioners whose period of service ended in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
In a press statement issued by the Director of Computation/Secretary of the Edo State Pension Bureau, Mr. Ambrose Akhato, the state government disclosed that the purpose of the exercise is to pay off the accumulation of debt left by previous administrations in Edo State.
He made this known while speaking with newsmen at the State Pension Bureau Office in Benin City on Wednesday.
Mr Akhato revealed that the screening, since it commenced, has been welcomed with smiles on the faces of pensioners. The Scribe later advised prospective beneficiaries to use the golden opportunity “to make themselves available for the screening exercise.”
He said: “Two years ago, in June 2022, we explained to Mr. Governor the need to screen those pensioners who retired from the service from 1996 to 2013 and were yet to be paid their gratuity and His Excellency magnanimously approved the conduct of the screening exercise. They were screened and we have been paying them all this while.”
Enlightening newsmen further, the Chairman of the Bureau affirmed that the government will soon begin the process of payment of those who have been screened.
He said:”We wrote to His Excellency on the need to also approve the screening of the 2014 and 2015 pensioners for those who retired in those two years and he also approved that they be screened. We started paying them when we were through with the payment of the previous ones.
“This screening started on Monday 1st, July 2024. It is going to end on the 12th of July 2024. We are going to have screening via Skype as well, from the 8th of July 2024 and end on the 19th of July 2024 for those who are living outside the country. For those who are living outside Edo State and for those who are living outside Benin City that may not be able to come for the Physical screening or even those who are within the City who can’t come to the venue because of health challenges, they will also be screened through Skype.”
However, Mr Akhato further explained out conditions for the payment of those who are late in coming for the screening scheme.
He said:”we can’t pay them directly anymore. Their issues will be termed as death benefits. When we are through with the money available to pay them, we will send it to the State Ministry of Justice, that is where their next-of-kin will be screened and paid.”
He added: “The Bureau is expected to screen 900 pensioners within two weeks, while over 286 pensioners have been screened.”
