The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has presented a cheque of N11.8 million to four families whose relatives died in active service for the Edo State Government.
Obaseki, who presented the cheques to the beneficiary families at Government House, Benin City, assured them that the state government will not forget their relations and their contributions to the development of the state.
The governor thanked labour unions in the state for supporting the government in implementing the scheme and expressed readiness to extend the scheme to local government.
“I urge the union to continue to support the government as we prepare to ensure that the contributory pension scheme is implemented across the entire workforce in Edo State, particularly at the local government level.
“We want to step up our care for them to allow Edo State workers have access to better medical care. As a government, we have decided to have a contributory medical insurance scheme for all citizens of Edo State,” he said.
Earlier, the Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Mr Isaac Ehiozuwa, said the cheques presented were in compliance with the Pension Reform Act of 2014 and Edo State Law of 2010, as amended.
“The provision under Section 8(1) and 13(3) respectively made for the establishment of a Group Life Insurance policy for all employees, where a sum three times the last annual salary of the deceased employee will be paid to their next of kin.
“The deceased whose families are here today are late Mr Idahosa Umweni, a Director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and late Mrs. Evelyn Chimezie of Post-Primary Education Board. Others are late Mrs. Omokhomion Josephine and late Mr. Elvis Utomwen, both of Post-Primary Education Board”. Ehiozuwa explained that earlier in the year, a total of N21.59m was presented to beneficiaries as the state government has paid N50. 29 million to beneficiaries since the commencement of the scheme in 2017.
Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Edo State Chapter, Comrade Marshall Orhue, commended the openness and commitment of Edo State Government to workers’ welfare in the state.
He said the government has built workers’ confidence as they are now more committed to supporting the administration in delivering the dividends of democracy to Edo people.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Bridget Odegua Umweni, thanked the Governor for the scheme and expressed confidence in his capacity to transform the state.
