DG Pension board re-asured all verified retirees will be paid on first come, first out basis.
Niger state pension Board has said it has cleared about Nine hundred and eighty eight state pensioners their gratuity since the commencement of the payment exercise in the state.
The Director General state pension Board, Alhaji Nasiru Saidu Namaska disclosed this while speaking with newsmen shortly after addressing pensioners at a meeting organized by Joint Action Committee of pensioners in minna.
According to him, the board has also varified eighteen thousand and thirty State and local Government pensioners so far.
He said that three hundred and thirty five retirees were settled in first batch, while two hundred and fifty five,as well as two hundred and seven and one hundred and ninety ono were paid fully in batches two,three and four respectively adding that payment of batch five is already out for commencement of payment on Monday.
Alhaji Nasir Namaska said the present administration under the leadership of farmer Umar Mohammed Bago has the plight of pensioners at heart and has sets asides twenty five billion naira to commence payment of outstanding gratuity to retirees in both state and local government areas in the state.
The Director General announced that the board has paid batches one and two of local governmemt retirees and now suspended due to some administrative issues and will commence as soon as the issue is rectified and have paid batch one to four of the state retirees adding that batch five is also ready for payment.
He advised retirees to exercise patience while the gratuity payment progresses, assuring that all verified pensioners will be paid but on first come, first out basis in accordance with the directives of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
According to the Director General, ” the introduction of internal control mechanism has been very effective in eradicating the menace of fraudulent behaviour by staff including the problems of missing files. Now every staff is responsible and accountable for files treated “.
In his remarks, the chairman Joint Action Committee pensioner, Mr Daniel Zitta has appealed to farmer Governor Umar Mohammed Bago for up Ward review of monthly pension for retirees inline with the prescribed five years mandatory law and thanked farmer Umar Mohammed Bago for listening to the plights of retirees in his administration.
Mr Zitta mentioned that Pensioners in the state are indeed fortunate to have Alhaji Nasiru Saidu Namaska at the helm of the affairs adding that his trasperancy in the conduct of his official duty is highly recommendable and pensioners are deeply grateful.
Mr Zita also appreciate him for his efforts in transforming the pension board particular audit and automation of pensioners roster for easy identification of legitimate pensioners in the state adding that it will curb malpractice in the system.
