Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago has disclosed that his administration disbursed N25 billion to offset 21 years of outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to retirees of both local and state government civil servants in the state.
Bago made this disclosure in an interview saying this substantial settlement of arrears owed the pensioners underscores his administration’s dedication to the welfare of the state’s retired civil servants after their meritorious service years.
According to him, ” This move is a significant step towards alleviating the financial burden on retirees, some of whom have not received their pensions for over 20 years, leading to a considerable backlog”,
“The current administration under my leadership is committed to ensuring that pension payments are made on time moving forward, to prevent similar situations in the future”.
He said the state has also paid N20,000 wage award to civil servants across the board for the second time in two months.
The Governor also revealed that the state government has commenced the settlement of all outstanding leave grants that have been pending since 2018 to date for workers in the state.
Bago then sternly warned officials against any attempts to alter the serial numbers and files of beneficiaries, saying, ” anyone found guilty of such actions will face severe consequences in the state”.