Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has approved N1bn for the payment of the backlog of gratuity owed to retired civil servants in the state since 2011.
According to The PUNCH, this was contained in a statement by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello.
The statement noted that Kefas, while signing the approval, directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure immediate payments of the overdue entitlements and regretted the delays in the payment over the years, noting that his government would not abandon workers who had diligently served their fatherland.
The statement read in part, “Apart from the initial N1bn, the governor also approved that a sum of N200m is set aside each month to offset the backlog and continue the payments.
“The approval is the fulfilment of the campaign promise of the governor to civil servants to offset pensions and gratuity despite the huge backlog.
“The governor feels it is not right to deny workers who have served over the years their entitlements. This administration will continue to make prompt payments of salaries, pension payments, and gratuities.”
Reacting to the approval, the Permanent Secretary, of Pensions, Mrs Rose Ajiya, said the gesture would effectively end many years of anguish and frustration for the aged pensioners.
