Kwara State government has approved additional N40 million for monthly payment of entitlements due to local government pensioners in the state.

A release by the chairman, Local Government Staff Pension Board, Alhaji Suleiman Yusuf, which was made available to journalists in Ilorin, on Monday, said the total monthly release for payment of gratuity at the local government level has thus increased to N50 million.

It is recalled that members of the local government pensioners in the state, recently cried out over non-payment of their entitlements and gratuity and called on the state government and the pension board to look into their plight.

The chairman of the local government pension staff pension board, who said pension increase was commensurate with N18,000 minimum wage, added that the development had helped to improve living standard of the pensioners.

He also said that government and the board had assured prompt payment of pension as at 25th of every month, adding that prompt placement of retirees on pension pay roll would be made immediately pensioners' salary stops.

Alhaji Yusuf, who said that efforts were ongoing to see that all entitlements and gratuity due to local government pensioners in the state are paid on time, added that the state government was committed to the welfare of pensioners in both the state and local governments.