The Delta State Government has reached another major milestone in its commitment to people-focused governance by clearing the pension backlog for over 11,000 local government retirees.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Delta State Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mr. Benjamin Igo, who called the move a “game-changer” in addressing years of unpaid pension arrears that had left many retired primary school teachers and local government workers struggling financially.
In an interview with *The Pointer*, Igo explained that this breakthrough was made possible through the release of a ₦40 billion loan, approved by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who authorized local government chairmen to jointly secure the funds.
He explained that by 2023, the unpaid pension backlog had reached around ₦51 billion, which led the state to begin a loan process under former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. However, the process wasn’t completed before Okowa left office.
“Governor Oborevwori made a campaign promise to end the hardship pensioners were facing, and he followed through on it. Once he took office, he finalized the ₦40 billion loan arrangement and convinced the local government chairmen to pool their efforts to secure it. They agreed, obtained the loan, and released the funds to us. That’s what allowed us to start clearing the backlog,” Igo said.
He also mentioned that an extra ₦1.8 billion was later provided to keep payments going, and a new proposal for ₦1.5 billion has been submitted to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) to cover retirees’ payments from October 2024 through April 2025.
He shared that the board has now paid pensioners up to September 2024, and the paperwork for the next group is currently being verified.
Highlighting transparency, Igo explained that payments are made strictly on a “first-come, first-served” basis. “Once your documents are processed and entered into our system, you get paid in the order they were received—not based on when you retired. So, if you retired three years ago but only just submitted your papers, you’ll wait behind someone who retired recently but submitted their documents right away.
“We even reach out to pensioners ourselves to come and collect their certificates when it’s their turn. Our process is open and transparent. Anyone caught asking for bribes will face serious disciplinary action,” he stressed.
Igo also revealed that the Board has started a sensitization tour across local governments, working with representatives from PenCom and PFAs to educate workers about the contributory pension scheme and the importance of proper documentation.
He encouraged civil servants to plan early for retirement, reminding them that “every job has an exit point.”
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