For many elderly men and women in Delta State, retirement was once accompanied by a painful question: when will my pension come? After decades of service to the state, some retirees were forced to wait endlessly for benefits they had earned, watching their expectations fade with every passing month. Today, that narrative is changed — and Comrade Lawson Efenudu says Governor Sheriff Oborevwori deserves credit for the remarkable turnaround.
Efenudu, Secretary of the Delta State Bureau for State Pensions and Director of Organised Labour, Integrity Group of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter, has offered a strong endorsement of the governor’s handling of the state’s pension obligations, declaring that inherited liabilities have been almost completely cleared.
“I can reliably tell you that from the records and the efforts of government so far, the state government has been able to almost deplete their accrued rights, that is pension liabilities inherited over the years,” Efenudu said.
“Currently, as of July 2026, all pension benefits are up to date. As of July 31st, workers who retire, who submitted their papers, have been determined, and I can tell you, government is no longer owing.”
That declaration represents more than an administrative update. For thousands of Delta retirees, it is a message of hope, dignity and renewed confidence in government.
Efenudu’s assessment becomes even more striking when the scale of the inherited obligations is considered. According to him, the harmonisation of pension benefits created a huge financial burden for the state, but the Oborevwori administration has steadily brought the liability under control.
“What is drawing us behind is what we call harmonisation,” he explained.
“Harmonisation is the difference between the minimum wage of 7,500 in 2007, I mean in 2007, and 18,000 minimum wage of 2011, which the government magnanimously reviewed.
“Listening to the hue and cry of workers that the benefits were very small, government now reviewed it to make it possible to enhance the take-home of retirees.”
Efenudu revealed that the financial implication of the review was enormous. “And as of that time, the review was almost 80 billion. But as I tell you today, from the Okowa government and Sheriff approach to it, what we are owing total benefits may not be up to 5 billion to date. 4-5 billion.”
For an administration determined to demonstrate that development must include ordinary citizens, the pension intervention is particularly significant. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure may provide visible evidence of development, but ensuring that elderly citizens receive their entitlements speaks directly to the social conscience of government.
Efenudu expressed confidence that the remaining obligations would also be eliminated before the end of Oborevwori’s administration. “And I can tell you that before the end of this government’s administration, we will be up to date. The state government will not be owing arrears of pension.”
He described the development in emotional terms, stressing the relief it has brought to the pension system. “It’s a wonderful thing that the issue of pension that bedevilled the hopeless has been cleared. And we are home and dry. And it’s a very good thing, making the administration on our own side very easy.”
That statement captures the broader significance of the governor’s approach. Oborevwori’s administration has sought to combine physical development with policies that directly affect the welfare of workers, retirees, young people and vulnerable citizens.
Yet Efenudu also offered an important clarification concerning delays in pension payments. According to him, not every delay should be attributed to government, as some retirees fail to submit their documentation promptly.
“If you delay submitting your papers to the Bureau, then your pension will be delayed. But if you can process your papers to the Bureau timely, you get your payment timely. So it’s a wonderful thing.”
He said some retirees wait for months before commencing the necessary documentation. “Most of the delays that are often blamed on government are by workers themselves .Most times people will retire, they will not commence processing their papers immediately. They will wait for months.”
He added: “Some will say they don’t have pay slip, all different reasons. Some didn’t even remember to do recapture with their pension fund administrators. And so in that process, it will take months.”
Efenudu urged workers to keep their records current, particularly their contact details with pension fund administrators. “It is right that every worker should update his/her records regularly with his pension fund administrator.”
He further explained: “Some of them, their phone numbers with which they registered with the pension fund administrator has changed. And so when they are called or invited or a message is sent, they don’t get it.”
“Email and a phone number are things that every worker must always update with the Bureau and the pension fund administrator.”
He concluded: “So these are some of the things that are associated with the delay in payment and not really all delays are by government.”
Apparently, the pension story is an important chapter of Governor Oborevwori’s wider development record. His administration’s emphasis on infrastructure, economic opportunities, healthcare, education, youth empowerment and social welfare is reinforced by an approach that places human dignity at the centre of governance.
The message emerging from the pension sector is unmistakable: after years of anxiety, Delta retirees are seeing a government determined to settle its obligations.
And in Efenudu’s words, “we are home and dry.”
For Governor Oborevwori, that may be one of the most powerful measures of development — not merely building a better Delta, but giving those who served the state the dignity and peace they deserve.
