The Ebonyi State Government has drawn a distinction between the ₦7 million donation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2027 governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, to retired workers of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) and the payment of outstanding pension and gratuity.
The government made the clarification following Odii’s donation of ₦100,000 each to 216 EBSU retirees, amounting to ₦21.6 million based on the number of beneficiaries stated in the government’s response.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Barr. Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, said while voluntary financial assistance to elderly citizens was welcome, such donations should not be presented as payment of statutory pensions or gratuities.
“A donation of ₦100,000 to an individual retiree is humanitarian assistance; it is not the payment of that retiree’s pension or gratuity,” Omebeh stated.
He explained that pension and gratuity claims require proper verification of service records, determination of legitimate entitlements, identification of the responsible institution and compliance with applicable procedures.
The Commissioner urged the public to distinguish between private financial assistance and the formal settlement of pension liabilities.
On the EBSU retirees’ grievances, Omebeh said the state government was collaborating with the university management and relevant unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), to establish a sustainable and standardized pension arrangement for the institution.
He also called on Odii and the PDP to submit any records in their possession showing the number of affected retirees, individual amounts allegedly owed and the basis of the claims.
Omebeh said any properly documented and verified claim submitted through the appropriate official channels would be examined and addressed on its merits.
The government further said the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru had been working on the clearance of pension and gratuity backlogs affecting workers across the state and local government system.
It maintained that while humanitarian support for retired workers and senior citizens was welcome, such assistance should not be equated with the formal payment of pension and gratuity entitlements.