The Ogun Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mr Ayo Kolawole, said the bureau had paid over N1.7 billion as monthly pensions to retired local government workers between January and September, 2013.
Kolawole said this in Abeokuta on Monday while receiving members of the Ogun House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, who were on oversight visit.
He said the payment also included retired primary school teaching and non-teaching staff.
The permanent secretary said the money was paid from the monthly Joint Allocation Accounts Committee (JAAC) allocation received by the bureau.
He said the bureau had also paid N452.1 million as gratuities to the same category of pensioners during the corresponding period.
He said the amount would be greatly enhanced if the state government paid its own share to the Local Government Staff Pension Fund.
“Out of the N300 billion under this expenditure head, the bureau has not received any fund from the state government as at September, 2013 due to paucity of funds.”
Mr Olakunle Oluomo, chairman of the committee, commended the bureau for a wonderful job.
Oluomo said the tour was to enable the committee to ascertain the successes and challenges facing the bureau.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also visited the Local Government Service Commission. (NAN)
