Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved payment of gratuity arrears to a second batch of 1,000 retirees.
Special Adviser, Public Relations and Strategy to the Governor, Mr. Isa Gusau, in a statement, yesterday said the exercise targeted middle cadre workers who retired from service between 2013 and 2019.
Gusau, who did not however give details of the amount approved, but said the payment had since commenced through the accounts of the benefiting retirees.
“Payment is to continue steadily to cover 50 per cent of each of the 1, 000 retirees total gratuity.
The balance of the 50 per cent will surely be paid under next phase of the exercise,” said Gasua.
“The idea of paying 50 per cent is aim to speedily reach as many retired workers as possible
“Lists of the beneficiaries will be made public on Monday; and anyone unable to confirm payment into his or her bank account, is required to file a complaint through the union of pensioners so that it gets to office of the Head of Service, which coordinates the payments,“ Gusau said.
He said with the adoption of the negotiated modality of payment, all accumulated gratuity arrears would soon be cleared.
The governor’s aid noted that payments of monthly pension to the retirees had been regular in the past eight years, and that the government in July 2019 settled gratuity arrears of 1, 684 retirees under the first batch of the exercise.
He also said the government in August, settled outstanding leave grants to 9, 898 workers, as well as the gratuities for families of 185 deceased pensioner. He also said compassionate payment to families of 236 deceased pensioners had also been paid.