Governor Okpebholo approves ₦4.6 billion to settle long-overdue entitlements for Edo colleges’ staff and retirees.
The phased payments offer relief and signal a renewed commitment to education and workers’ welfare.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved the first installment of payments to staff and retirees of the Colleges of Education in Ekiadolor and Igueben, marking a major step toward settling long-standing entitlements.
In a statement on Monday, Chief Press Secretary Fred Itua announced that ₦4.6 billion has been allocated to address benefits owed to affected staff, many of whom have waited years without pensions or clear employment status.
According to the release, the payment plan will be carried out in four phases, with each tranche amounting to ₦1,164,507,285.17. The initial tranche has already been disbursed to 682 pensioners from the College of Education, Ekiadolor, and 32 pensioners from the College of Education, Igueben, in line with Nigeria’s Pension Act.
The disengagement of the staff occurred under the previous administration of Godwin Obaseki, who had said the move was part of an effort to restructure the institutions. The Ekiadolor campus has since been taken over by the federal government, while planned campuses in Abudu, Igueben, and Afuze never materialized despite existing structures.
Itua also confirmed that the governor approved the immediate release of ₦292 million as the second tranche of pension entitlements to disengaged staff of the Colleges of Agriculture in Iguoriakhi and Agenebode. The payment is expected to be completed by Wednesday.
“With this intervention, the state government has so far released a total of ₦1.4 billion to the four colleges, offering relief to hundreds of families and reaffirming its commitment to the welfare of citizens who served Edo State,” the statement added.
Itua further emphasized that Governor Okpebholo’s action reflects a reform agenda aimed at repositioning the education sector while ensuring that disengaged workers are not left behind. The administration assured stakeholders that all legitimate entitlements would be fully settled, portraying the move as a reflection of fairness, equity, and compassion.
