By: Yahaya Zakka Minna.
The Organized Labour has commended the Governor of Niger state for disbursing funds for payment of gratuities to retirees in the State and Local Government Areas.
In a letter addressed to the Governor of Niger state by the Organized Labor and made available to Journalist’s in Minna recalled that the directives giving to the Committee on Pensions ably led by the Deputy Governor to meet with the Organized Labour on Tuesday 18/10/2022 to the content of Organized Labour Letters to Mr. Governor and the Speaker REF. Nos.; OL/NS/040/GEN/Vol. 4/03 dated September 20, 2022 and OL/NS/040/GEN/Vol. 4/05 dated September 21, 2022 respectively.
According to the Organized Labor during the meeting, the Deputy Governor intimated Organized Labour that Mr Governor had approved the sum of One Billion Naira (N1, 000, 000, 000.00) Only to be utilized for the immediate payment of gratuities to Local Government and State retirees.
In the letter It was unanimously resolved and aggreed at the meeting that the he payment of gratuities shall be done on first-come-first-serve basis of retirement dates, that those who were paid 30% advance of due gratuity shall receive augmentation of 70% outstanding, that all subsequent payments shall be 100%, that the State Pension Board shall transmit to the Organized Labour the details of gratuity payments carried out by the board in 2022 for perusal and that all payments in respect of gratuities shall be done in consultation with relevant stakeholders including Niger State Pension Committee and the Organized Labour.
The attention of the Organized Labor is drawn to a list of proposed beneficiaries unilaterally drawn by an individual without recourse to resolutions reached in the meeting of Tuesday 18/10/2022 which was convened at the instance of the Governor.
Hence need for the Governor to bring to the attention of the Director General of the Board that he cannot override the resolutions of the State Pension Committee on payment of gratuities and related Pension matters.
On the strength of the foregoing, organized Labor call on Mr Governor to as a matter of urgency direct the DG, Niger State Pension Board to suspend the proposed payment of gratuities until the resolutions of the committee are met.