The Bayelsa State Government has directed the Local Government Service Commission and Pensions Board to issue pre-retirement forms to affected staff three months before their retirement dates.
Deputy Governor Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo issued the directive during a meeting with council chairmen, the Auditor General for Local Government, and officials of the local government pensions board in Yenagoa.
He said delays in processing these forms have resulted in the late payment of benefits to retirees, a situation the government intends to address.
“The payment of gratuities and pensions to local government retirees should not extend beyond one month after retirement,” he said.
Ewhrudjakpo described the current documentation process as cumbersome and inadequate, stressing that a three-month window was sufficient for completing necessary paperwork.
He reiterated that government was putting mechanisms in place to ensure retirees receive their full entitlements within 30 days of exiting service.
“Our retirees deserve rest and dignity—not endless queues at government offices,” he said. “They have served the state for years. They should not suffer just to receive what is rightfully theirs.”
He added: “The present process is too time-consuming and ineffective. I cannot continue to preside over such a demeaning and punitive system.”
