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Group urges Delta State government to prioritise payment of pensioners, councils’ workers

By Owen Akenzua, Asaba
08 June 2017   |   4:29 am
The Coordinator, Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Delta State, Okezi Odugala has urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to prioritise the prompt payment of the entitlements of pensioners and staff of local councils.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State

The Coordinator, Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Delta State, Okezi Odugala has urged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to prioritise the prompt payment of the entitlements of pensioners and staff of local councils.

Odugala said although the condition of of the pensioners was not caused by the present administration, government need to urgently address their plight.Okowa had at a recent town hall meeting disclosed that his administration spends about N1billion monthly on the payment of pensions.

He said government’s action was proof of his administration’s commitment to the wellbeing of the retirees, in spite of the economic recession.But in an interview in Asaba to mark the second anniversary of the state government, Odugala acknowledged that although the Okowa administration had done well in efficient service delivery, it needed to consolidate its modest achievements by giving more attention to the plight of local government workers and pensioners.

His words: “No one is in doubt that Okowa is doing well, given the resources available to the government. But I am convinced that he can do more and consolidate his performance by adequate and timely attention to local government workers and pensioners who are being owned a backlog of salary arrears and entitlements.”

“I urge him to kindly address the issue frontally, even if it means taking a bailout fund. The local government workers and pensioners are Deltans and the government is for everybody. The governor should kindly do something positive about their situation urgently.”

He however, commended the Okowa administration for its performance in the last two years, even in recession, adding that the town hall meetings was strategic in that it would help to elicit good feelings from the people and based on the feedbacks, review its policies and programmes going forward.

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