By Our Reporter, Lafia
Nasarawa State Government says it has set aside N1.7 billion to pay the 2012 gratuity of retirees in the state.
Gov Abdullahi Sule announced this during the distribution of electric vehicles at the Government House on Thursday in Lafia.
The Governor earlier distributed distributed 50 electric cars and 50 electric tricycles to 100 indigent youths in a bid to foster economic growth and sustainability in the state.
Sule said that his administration had fully paid the inherited gratuity of retirees from 1996 to 2011.
“This year, at the state level, we are also paying all the 2012, we will be paying them 100 percent of their money amounting to N1.6 billion.
The governor also announced that
The state government would give the local governments N600 million to be able to pay their own gratuity.
“For the retired civil servants, if you remember we started this payment of gratuity from the year 1996 to 2011 and have been fully paid.
“This year, at the state level we are also paying all the 2012 retirees their benefits, we will be paying them 100 percent of their money amounting to N1.6 billion,” the governor announced
Sule, however, cautions the local government Councils for overstaffing, which he said was the reason for their challenge.
“The Local Governments are having a little bit of challenges which we do know that they will not be able to go in the same line with the state government to pay 100 percent of the gratuity.
Sule disclosed a plan to engage a consultant to audit the Local Government Councils to save them from what he called a “time bomb” ready for explosion.
“Every year, the LGAs leave gratuity between N5 billion and N6 billion; there is no way they will be able to pay. And so either people are going to die without getting their gratuity or they will continue to pay in percentages.
Sule urged the State House of Assembly to carry out an audit of LGAs as part of their oversight function to ascertain staff records.
The governor said that, given the improved revenue from the federation account, the state had concluded plans to buy fertilisers and rice and sell to the citizens at 50 per cent subsidy.
He said that the effort was in line with the “watering the ground” directive by President Bola Tinubu.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.