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Ebonyi approves N4.5b for salary arrears, Aregbesola assures of workers welfare

By Nnamdi Akpa (Abakaliki), Tunji Omofoye (Osogbo) and Gordi Udeajah (Umuahia)
30 November 2017   |   4:23 am
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday said the government has approved N4.5 billion for the payment of retirees’ pensions and gratuity, workers salaries, as well as their leave and promotion allowances.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State

• Abia retirees protest to House of Assembly over pension payment
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday said the government has approved N4.5 billion for the payment of retirees’ pensions and gratuity, workers salaries, as well as their leave and promotion allowances.

Details of the approval showed that N1.5 billion will take care of pensions and gratuities arrears, N2 billion will go for payment of workers’ salaries while N1 billion will be used to clear arrears of workers leave and promotion allowances.

Umahi made the announcement at Government House, Abakaliki while receiving executives of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), who paid him a courtesy visit, saying payments would be made on or before December 20, 2017.

In a related development, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola has said his administration has spent more money on payment of salaries and retirees benefits than what the state spent on infrastructure development.

He said he was making the clarification due to allegations by the opposition that his administration spent 80 per cent of the state resources on developmental projects ‎against welfare and salaries of workers.

Aregbesola stressed that he has no specific agenda after the expiration of his tenure as governor of Osun, saying he would be more committed to the welfare of the people.

He said during a television breakfast show, as part of activities marking the seventh anniversary of his administration that over N220 billion was spent between November 2010 and October 2017 on payment of salaries and pensions.

Meanwhile, pensioners in Abia State yesterday protested from the state Sub-Treasury along Bende Road to the state House of Assembly urging the lawmakers to prevail on the state governor to pay them their accumulated arrears.

This is coming two weeks after Abia State Pensioners protested to Government House Umuahia to demand the payment of their pension arrears from Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Their Spokesman, Emmanuel Okparanta, told the lawmakers that pensioners in the state had been paid only month pension since this year, while gratuity was paid last in the state 18 years ago, a situation he described as unbearable.

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