Edo Presents N24.5M Pension Benefit to Families of Deceased Employees

The Edo State Government has once again given five families of deceased employees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) checks totaling twenty-four million, five hundred and seventy-three thousand, two hundred and five naira, eight kobo (N24,573,205.8).

The five State employees who passed away are Benjamin Asekhamen Okanigbuan, Iyamu Sunday, Ojo Peter Osazuwa, Ogbemudia Friday, and Eholor Omorodion. The family members who received their individual Life Assurance checks are Ikuoriah Adams Momoh, Iyamu Wilson, Osazuwa-Ojo Favour Aizenosa, Osakioya Friday, and Olowojoba Mercy Elohor.

On Friday, November 4, 2022, at the Office of the Head of Service, the checks were presented.

The checks were presented on behalf of the Edo State Government as part of the benefits of good governance that the current administration has allowed civil and public servants in the State to enjoy. This was stated by the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., who was represented by Mrs. Priscilla Aziegbemhin, Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Head of Service.

Okungbowa states, “This is one of a series of exercises like this. As we all know, Edo State is one of the leading States that has since started the CPS, and the Governor is keeping faith with the payment of the death benefits of our deceased employees.” We really want to express our appreciation to the Executive Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, for keeping to his promise to pay his own counterpart funds of the contribution.”

“Edo State Government sincerely sympathizes with you for your loss and asks that you keep up with the good fight and walk on the good path that your benefactors have worked on and are being remembered for today,” Okungbowa wrote in a condolence note to the families of the deceased employees who were present to accept the checks.

Speaking at the event as well, Mrs. Aikefe Aigbavboa, Permanent Secretary and Chairman of the Edo State Pensions Bureau, cautioned the recipients to use the funds they had been given to charitable organizations. She believed that this would help to fill the gap left by their benefactors’ departure.

According to Aigbavboa “I want to once again condole with the deceased families represented here today. We, the State Government and the Office of the Head of Service, kindly request that you bring the whole family along. That you are the next-of-kin does not mean the money is personally yours. Please remember to include the wives and children of the deceased if you collected on behalf of mothers, brothers, fathers, and so forth. This is the first of the three components of payment you are entitled to.”

Speaking on their behalf, one of the recipients, Ms. Favour Osazuwa-Ojo, thanked the State Government for the gesture. According to Osazuwa-Ojo, “This is a good development; I did not know that something like this exists in this State until I was called upon to come and receive this cheque. I have come and it is real.

“This would be very helpful, so I would like to thank the Edo State Government for it and praise the easy, quick, and seamless process of paying death benefits. My family and I would forever remain grateful.”

The scheme is a creation of the Pension Reforms Act (2014) and the Edo State Contributory Pension Scheme Law (2010), as amended.

Sections 1 and 11(3) of the two aforementioned laws, respectively, address the death benefit provision that pays benefactors three times their yearly salaries upon their passing.

This is the first of three payments made as part of the deceased employee’s death benefits; it is a group life insurance policy for workers. If an employee passes away, the State Government pays the surviving family members after receiving the death certificate from the insurance company, which then processes the employee’s checks.