Taraba State government has commenced the payment of gratuity to 300 local government retirees after 15 years through the state’s Local Government Pensions Board.
The last payment of gratuity to the state’s local government retirees was in 2009.
On assumption of office, the state governor, Agbu Kefas, constituted a committee for screening of the retirees and subsequent payment of the gratuity. The committee is headed by the state commissioner for finance, Mrs. Sarah Adi.
The governor also released N500 million to effect the accumulated backlog for retired local governments civil servants and ordered release of N100 million monthly for subsequent payments.
Presenting ceremonial cheques for onward payment of the gratuity to the retirees/next of kins at the Conference Hall of the state secretariat in Jalingo yesterday, Mrs. Sarah Adi thanked the governor for remembering the retirees, and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money to improve their families.
Adi who was represented at the occasion by the overseer of Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Traditional Matters, Mr. Benjamin Baisa, regretted the pains retirees have gone through for 15 years before their plight was considered by the governor.
“I am also delighted that His Excellency, Governor Agbu Kefas has, once again, shown to all Tarabans and indeed the whole world that he is a man of his words by setting up this committee and graciously releasing N500million for the payment to the beneficiaries covering 2010, 2011 and part of 2012 only. N100 million will be released for subsequent payments.
“It is my belief that the beneficiaries and their families are deeply grateful for the care, compassion and love the governor has shown to them through the payment, which was long overdue and capable of changing their lives for better and forever.
“I am also pleased that the committee has worked professionally, fairly and
tirelessly for the last two months during which over 300 beneficiaries were duly screened across the three senatorial zones.
“The committee visited all the three zones and held the screening in Bali, Wukari and Jalingo for the Central, Southern and Northern zones respectively.
“It is with a grateful heart to His Excellency, that I am now officially flagging off the payment through the symbolic presentation of cheques to some beneficiaries,” Baisa stated
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