From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate commencement of payment of outstanding gratuity, monthly pension and death benefits for retirees in the State public service.
The Director General of the Rivers State Pension Board, Mr. Ijeoma Samuel,  in a statement he issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, explained that the exercise would be done in batches.
He stated: “The first batch is for all those who had retired up to June 2014. All affected retirees and next of kin’s for deceased retirees under the first batch are requested to come to the Ministry of Justice conference hall for physical verification from 15th-23 June, 2022.”
The Director General urged those in the first batch of the exercise to come along with their retirement identification cards and every other relevant supporting documents.
He insisted that the exercise was strictly for only those covered under the first batch which are retirees up to June 2014.
Samuel cautioned: “We don’t want a situation somebody who retired in 2020 will be paid first before the person who had retired in 2014. We have adopted the principle of , first retired, first paid.
“We want the entire exercise to be credible. There shall be no preferential treatment. There will be no jumping of queues. After the first batch, we will immediately commence the next batch.”