Responding, the state government said it had spent about N22billion as payment of pensions and N5billion as gratuities in the last three and half years and pledged that it would neither owe the pensioners nor its workers.

Governor Amosun said his administration had cleared the backlog of gratuities owed by the previous administration from 2008 to November 2012, adding that but for one month – December 2012, the administration had cleared 5years backlog of gratuities.

The pensioners had requested the settlement of pension arrears owed them from 2003-2006, implementation of increment on pension from 2010-2011, harmonization of pensions and payment of outstanding gratuities from 2008 among other things.

On the harmonization of pensions, the governor said “the disparity in the amount paid to pensioners is determined by the number of years served. It would be unfair for people who did not serve the government for their entire probable years in service before moving elsewhere to earn as much as those who committed the entire working life to the State and completed their service years before retirement.”

The governor explained that the last salary earned by the pensioners was the amount expected to be paid to them as pensions, but added that the government could look into the possibility of reviewing it, noting that it was not in the budget for the on-going year.

Amosun urged the pensioners to show more understanding as he was presently clearing backlog of pensions and gratuities he never owed saying he had not defaulted in the prompt payment of salaries and assured that by next year he would have cleared the backlog of pensions.

from December 2012 to 2014.