Kebbi State Government has spent over N20 billion on payment of retirement benefit from 2015 to date, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mamuda Muhammad Warra has said.
This is even as the government, under Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has appraised the various agitations of the organised labour with a view to maintaining industrial harmony in the state.
Warra said it is on record that the state government met a liability of N4.3bn, which was not only liquidated, but additional sum was provided, which rose up to N20 billion, for payment of retirement benefits.
He recalled that the latest of such approvals granted by the governor was N3 billion that will significantly offset the retirement benefits of all those who retired up to 2018.
“Specifically, out of a total number of 1,098 retirees, 958 retirees whose retirement benefits range from N5 million and below will be paid 100 percent.
“This indicates that, at the end of the excercise, the state government will only be left with the burden of those who retired from 2019 upward,” he averred.
According to him, the state government was also determined to continue the monthly savings that will seek to address new retirees.
“In the same vein, Kebbi State under this administration has maintained simultaneous payment of pension along with salary.
To corroborate the above, Warra stated that, as it concerns the payment of Annual Increment, the Ministry of Finance was at no time directed to stop payment of annual increment.
Also, the Ministry of Finance provides monthly returns which reflects , salary, promotion etc.
He said: “On the issue of the non payment of Leave Grant, it should be noted that, since the inception of this administration, leave grant has been regularly paid to Civil Servants.”
He also said that the Kebbi State Government was, however, fully committed to the payment of all outstanding leave grant when the situation improves.
