Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has disbursed over N584 million as gratuities, car and housing loans to pensioners, civil servants, teachers and local government workers in the state.

While distributing the cheques to the beneficiaries at a ceremony held at the Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado Ekiti, the governor said the gesture was in fulfillment of his vow to prioritise workers’ welfare and ensure that the senior citizens had maximum enjoyment throughout their retirement years.

Fayemi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, stressed that the welfare packages for workers and retirees were pointers to the determination and commitment of his administration to improve and prioritise the welfare of the people.

Benefiting from the largesse are core civil servants, who were given N103.7million as car loans and N85 million as land and housing loans.

Local government workers got N40 million as car and housing loans, while secondary school teachers were lifted with N103.4million as car loan and N52.5million as housing loans.

State and local government pensioners received N100 million each as their gratuities.

The governor said: “This administration has been consistent with this process of paying gratuity and releasing loans to our civil servants.

“The approved sum for the land/housing loans will be disbursed to 700 beneficiaries at sum, varying from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand depending on grade levels and purpose.

The governor said that core civil servants were getting car and housing loan cheques for the second time within 2019, revealing that a total of N55million cheques were distributed in the first month of the year.

Fayemi, in consonance with his good governance agenda, also agreed on the payment of gratuities on the basis of “First to retire, first to be paid” with a directive to the Pension Transition Arrangement Department at the state and local government to adhere to the transparency policy.

The governor, who noted that some retirees were owing Housing Loans Board to the tune of N324 million as at September, 2019, directed that anyone with less than four years to retirement from service would no longer be availed the opportunity to access government loans.

He added that anyone whose net pay was less than 50 per cent of his/her gross salary would be disqualified from taking loan.

The governor said this would make the loans board financially viable in discharging its responsibilities.