The Ogun State Government has assured former councillors who served across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas between 2021 and 2024 that they will receive their outstanding severance entitlements.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, gave the assurance in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday.
Hamzat said Governor Dapo Abiodun had directed the ministry to commence work on the payment, adding that the process was already underway.
“We are working on it and as soon as we are done, they will get their severance. The governor has actually directed that we should go and work the cost implication, which we have done,” the commissioner said.
He, however, explained that the government was also considering outstanding bank loans obtained by some of the former councillors before finalising the payment arrangements.
“Some of them are owing anyway, they have taken loans from banks. We need to sort this out so that we pay the bank before they ask the council or the state government to pay back. That is where we are, but I can assure you they will get their money,” Hamzat added.
The assurance followed an appeal by the former councillors, who on Thursday held a press conference in Ijebu-Ode, urging Governor Abiodun to approve the payment of their outstanding severance allowances and other benefits.
The former local government officials, under the aegis of the Ogun State Councillors Forum, 2021–2024, said the payment would provide significant relief to former political office holders who have faced financial difficulties since leaving office.
Speaking on behalf of the group, a former Leader of the Legislative Council of Ijebu North Local Government, Abass Mohammed, said many of the former councillors were struggling to meet basic family and medical responsibilities.
Mohammed also disclosed that the forum had lost about 25 of its members since they left office, while at least two former secretaries to local governments were reportedly battling serious medical challenges.
The former councillors had therefore appealed to the state government to urgently settle their entitlements, citing the financial hardship being experienced by several members of the forum.
