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Director General, Nasarawa State Bureau for Pension Administration, Mr Suleiman Nagogo
By Oboh Linus, Lafia
Nasarawa State Government says it has released N1 billion to clear the 2011 gratuity of 955 retirees in the state.
Mr Suleiman Nagogo, Director General Bureau for Pension Administration, Nasarawa State disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lafia.
According to the Director General, Governor Abdullahi Sule in his magnanimity made available the sum of N1 billion with a clear-cut directive to entertain the full payment of retirees in 2011.
He explained that the first batch of payment would be made to those retired particularly between January and May 2011 as much as the fund could take, noting that before the year runs out the payment of the retirees’ entitlement for 2011 would be completed.
“This exercise you are witnessing today is an additional exercise that follows our normal quarterly payment of gratuities, which ended on Friday last week.
“It is a fresh exercise that is taking place due to concern, the magnanimity of the Governor who made available to this office a few days ago the sum of N1 billion with a clear-cut directive to entertain the payment of retirees in 2011 in full.
“You will also recall that Governor Sule earlier this year made available N1 billion for the payment of the gratuity of those retired between 1999 and 2010 in Nasarawa state,” he said
Nagogo said that Nasarawa state requires between N40 and 42 billion to clear the inherited backlog of gratuity for both the state and the Local Government Areas retirees.
The pension Boss, however, commended Gov Sule for fulfilling his promise to the retirees regarding addressing pension and gratuity payment issues during his inauguration in 2019.
‘The retirees should rather be grateful to Gov. Sule’s magnanimity than complaining because such a thing has never happened before.
“You will agree with me that the Sule was not the Governor of Nasarawa state in 2011 yet this arrears has been pending.
“He is their redeemer, he is a very religious honest person, that is exactly why they should be thankful rather than feeling they are not involved in the immediate exercise as if there is no hope for them in the nearest future,” he said.
Nagogo advised the retirees and the representatives of the dead family members not to misuse the money but utilise it in addressing the basic and immediate needs of the family their parents left behind.
Hudu-Baba Abdullahi, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Nasarawa state, while speaking on the released fund, thanked Gov Sule for doing so much for the retirees, noting that before he became Governor the pensioners were being paid on percentage with little or no gratuity.
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