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The Ondo State executive council has
approved a sum of N866 million for the payment of statutory
entitlements of former political office holders who served between 1999
and 2007 at the local government level in the state.

The state’s commissioner for
Information, Ranti Akerele, who disclosed this to reporters, said the
payment exercise would not be based on party affiliations and will be
done instalmentally for all former political office holders in the 18
local government.

“The political office holders that will
benefit from the exercise were specified to be paid severance allowance
by the Revenue Allocation Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Committee
(RAMFAC),” he said.

“The payment will be made to all
concerned officers irrespective of the party affiliation, whether you
are in Alliance for Democracy or Peoples Democratic Party, you are
going to benefit from the payment without discrimination.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Niran Sule Akinsuyi confirmed the sum.

Mr. Akinsuyi, who also supervises the
Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said those
entitled to the payment, according to stipulation of the RAMFAC,
include the Chairman, Vice Chairman, leader of the council and
councillors.

Close the gap

Mr. Akinsuyi said the instalmental
payment of the benefits would be made in such a way that the gap
between the first payment and the next would not be wide to ensure that
the beneficiaries make meaningful use of the money paid to them.

“The payment would be made to start within the next two weeks,” he said.

The issue of payment of the severance
allowance of former political office holders at the local government
level had always been a source of friction in the state as this has
always been handled with levity by successive governments.

Past officials have complained of unpaid benefits; but the affected
local councils have complained of a lack of money to make the payment.