Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has presented bond certificates to 194 retirees who participated in the contributory pension scheme while in service.

With the certificates, the retirees from local governments and public primary schools will be able to draw pensions from their various pension fund administrators.

The governor, who presented the certificates at a ceremony organised by the Local Government Staff Pension Bureau in Osogbo on Friday, said he was sensitive to the plights of the retirees.

Aregbesola said in spite of the tough financial challenges on account of dwindling oil prices and sharp reduction of receipts from the federation account, the state had been committed to paying pensions and gratuities to its retirees.

The governor said, “Today’s beneficiaries are 194 retirees in the local governments and primary schools and will receive bonds valued at N1,283,927,023.59).”

He stated that the first batch of 78 retirees in the local governments and primary schools of the state received their retirement bond certificates valued at N593,774.42 in December  2014.

He explained further that the second batch were 188 retirees in the local governments and primary schools and they received bond certificates valued at N1,470,977,537.14 in September 2015.

The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government Staff Pension, Mr. Kayode Afolabi, said the retirees had been trained on how to live healthy lives in retirement and how to get themselves productively engaged for the rest of their lives.

Afolabi urged the retirees to use their money judiciously and avoid wasting it.

The Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye,
commended Aregbesola for prioritising the welfare of the state workforce.

He said in spite of the current shortage of fund, the state was ranked third after Lagos and River states by PENCOM.

Meanwhile, a team of lecturers from the faculties of Food Science and Engineering and Agricultural Sciences of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has described orange-fleshed sweet potato as a food crop which could address malnutrition problem among children and adults and boost food security in the country.

According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Lekan Fadeyi, on Friday, the lecturers, who said this at an awareness programme on the crop were led by LAUTECH’s Director of Quality Assurance from the Food Science Department, Prof. Aishat Akinwande.

The project, a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional one which harnesses the expertise of different researchers, is jointly funded by the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme and the institution.

- Punch