Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule says his administration has set aside N1.6 billion to pay the gratuities of 2012 retirees in the state.
He disclosed this while distributing electric vehicles to youth groups and vulnerable residents at the Government House, Lafia yesterday.
The governor said his administration had fully paid the inherited gratuities from 1996 to 2011.
“For the retired civil servants, if you remember, we started this payment from 1996 to 2011 and have fully paid,” he said.
He noted that the gesture was a deliberate effort to reduce the backlog of gratuities which continued to pile up for his government.
The governor also promised that his administration would give local governments N600 million to enable them pay their gratuity liabilities.
“In our commitment to meet up with the yearnings and aspirations of our retirees, government is paying off gratuities of local government retirees whose benefits are less than N1 million in full. While the beneficiaries with more than N1million will be paid 32% with the balance of 68% to be paid in due course,” he said.
He equally promised to settle scholarship arrears for indigent students which were delayed last year along with that of the current year.
Governor Sule at the event distributed 50 electric vehicles and 50 electric tricycles as part of his administration’s ongoing empowerment initiatives.
According to him, to ensure that the vehicles and tricycles were productively engaged, the state government has established a charging point at the new state secretariat with additional outlets in Akwanga and Keffi.
“I need to point out that government is not just giving these machines, but we are going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the beneficiaries, where terms and conditions will be provided in order to guide the operations of the vehicles and the tricycles. This is the only way we can ensure their durability and effective management,” he stated.
He urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the vehicles to support their livelihoods.
He said in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the states governors to ‘wet the ground’ and ease hardship at the grassroots, his administration will subsidize 50% of the cost of fertilizer for farmers in the state.
“Arrangements are being concluded to purchase and distribute 30,000 bags of 10kg rice to the indigent and vulnerable members of the society at subsidized rate. In addition, we will also purchase 9,000 bags of Urea Fertilizers to be distributed to our farmers at subsidized rates. This is in our determination to cushion the effect of economic hardship and improve the living standard of our people,” he added.
