Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to resuming the payment of gratuities to retirees of both the state and local governments.
He made this known during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Niger State chapters, at the Government House in Minna.
Governor Bago said his administration had earlier commenced gratuity payments and successfully cleared 13 batches of state and local government retirees before the process was halted due to identified anomalies.
He stressed that proper verification and due diligence were necessary to ensure transparency, adding that payments would continue in an orderly, phased manner.
To fast-track the process, the governor directed his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, the Permanent Secretary of Pensions, as well as the leadership of the NLC and NUP in the state, to work together to produce a clean and verifiable record of retirees in batches for his approval, after which payments would resume.
He also clarified that his administration does not owe any salary or pension arrears to state and local government workers.
On the review of pensions for retirees under the defined pension scheme, Governor Bago ordered a fresh verification exercise and directed that the outcome be submitted to him for consideration.
While acknowledging the contributions of pensioners during their years of service, the governor encouraged them to embrace agriculture as an alternative source of income, assuring them of government support through Niger Foods.
He further urged them to continue supporting the present administration and cautioned against being misled by instigators.
Earlier, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Mohammed Erena, said the union visited the Government House to appeal for the resumption of gratuity payments and the review of pensions under the defined pension scheme.
Speaking to journalists, the Chairman of the Niger State Chapter of the NUP, Alhaji Isiaku Ndagi, commended Governor Bago for his readiness to address the concerns of pensioners.
He assured that the union would mobilise its zonal and local government leaders to ensure a speedy verification process.
