Former political office-holders in Ogun State’s 20 local government areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) have praised the Dapo Abiodun administration after the state government cleared ₦3.503 billion in outstanding severance allowances owed to them.
The beneficiaries, who served between 2016 and 2024, received their payments at a cheque presentation ceremony on Tuesday at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
They described the payment as proof of the government’s commitment to good governance, accountability and the welfare of those who served at the grassroots.
The beneficiaries included former chairmen, vice-chairmen, secretaries, supervisors, special advisers and councillors from the 2016–2019 and 2020–2024 tenures.
In a statement, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, said the government released ₦3,503,489,479.56. He said the liabilities covered 526 former office-holders from the 2016–2019 tenure and 516 from the 2020–2024 tenure.
Akinmade said the payment aligned with the administration’s policy of not leaving legitimate inherited liabilities unpaid.
“As a responsible and people-centred government, we have taken the bold step to clear them in full. This is in line with the Governor’s policy of not leaving any legitimate liability unpaid,” he said.
He explained that the payments followed a verification and reconciliation exercise involving the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the State Audit Department and the Local Government Service Commission.
According to him, verified beneficiaries received their money directly in their bank accounts, while those who had not received alerts because of account-related issues should approach the ministry with the necessary documents.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hon. Okunade Adebayo and Hon. Abosede Balogun thanked the state government for honouring the obligation, saying it showed their contributions to grassroots development had not been forgotten. They also commended the ministry for what they called a transparent, orderly and seamless process.
A former Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Hon. Emiola Ghazal, called the payment unprecedented in the state.
“This is unprecedented in Ogun State. We never believed a government could take responsibility for entitlements owed by its predecessor despite what the predecessor put the governor through. The governor is truly a promise keeper,” he said.
Ghazal said the gesture showed Abiodun’s “milk of human kindness” and had renewed the confidence of beneficiaries and other grassroots stakeholders in the administration.
He also suggested the development could carry political weight for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the state heads into the 2027 general elections.
The former council chairman urged serving office-holders to remain committed to delivering quality service, and expressed hope that the administration would sustain policies aimed at improving the welfare of workers and other stakeholders.
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