Niger Begins Payment of Retirees 21 Years after Leaving Service

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Twenty one years after leaving service, 335 retirees from the Niger State civil service yesterday smiled home as they received their gratuities from the state government.

Each of the recipients received the cheque for their entitlement and will draw their benefits from the N500million released for the purpose by the state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, who had on May 29 announced that he will release N25 billion for the payment of the gratuities to state and local government retirees.

The state Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, flagged off the presentation of cheque to the retirees in Minna yesterday thanking them for their patience with the government and solicited for their support for a seamless exercise.

Garba said pensioners, who retired from the local government areas, will be issued their cheques from today, but added that the payment will be done in batches

According to him, “This is a new era for our pensioners who retired twenty one years ago and could not get their gratuities, I want to appeal to you to forget what you have passed through.

“I want to advise you not to allow anyone push you against the government, don’t listen to rumours because the government is a continuous process.”

In his address, Alhaji Nairu Namaska, Director-General of the state Pension Board, appreciated Governor Bago for his visionary leadership in introducing the Niger State Pension Administration System (NSPAS) saying: “This shows the dedication of the governor to ensure that the welfare of our retirees is given the utmost priority,”

He gave assurance that the payment process would be conducted with the highest standards of integrity and efficiency.