Court Orders Banks To Pay Nasarawa Pensioners N1bn Gratuity

An industrial court has ordered  three commercial banks where Nasarawa State government accounts are domiciled to immediately disburse over N1 billion to   170 pensioners as their gratuities.

Justice Isaac Essien gave the order while ruling  on a creditors’ judgement case brought before the court against the  Nasarawa State government by a group of retirees in Makurdi, Benue State.

The court also awarded N4 million cost against the state government.

A group of retirees under the aegis of Patriotic Local Government Pensioners Union had approached the court seeking enforcement of a creditors’ judgement case for the payment of their retirement benefits.

Before ruling on the matter, Justice Essien dismissed two motions filed by the state government.

He averred that  the three commercial banks   which were  joined  in the suit  did not prove to the court why the garnishee order should not be enforced, hence the order to pay the amount into the  account of counsel to the retirees for disbursement to them.

He explained that the Nasarawa State government violated the constitutional rights of the  retirees over its failure to pay their entitlements.

Counsel to the pensioners, Barrister  Sunday Okpale, told journalists after the ruling that justice had finally prevailed for his  clients.

“Today I have been vindicated by this judgement. I have suffered persecution from the Nasarawa State government for standing for these senior citizens to pursue their entitlements,” he stated.

Also speaking, counsel to Nasarawa State government, Barrister Egye Aliyu, said his client would take further action on the judgement in due course.