JUBILIATION AS 533 RECEIVE GRATUITY IN EBONYI STATE

REPORTER: CHINELO OKORO

Ebonyi State Government has cleared backlog of gratuity of more than 500 retirees in the phase two and spill over of gratuity from 1996 to 2021 and 2022 to 2023 as part of efforts to improve the standard of living of the Senior Citizens.

The second batch of payment of gratuity targeted 636 retirees with estimated amount of over N1.6 bilion, but only 533 people responded, with the total cash spent by the state government amounting to over N1.4 bilion.

Speaking to Radio Nigeria at the end of the exercise at Old EXCO Chambers, Old Government House Abakaliki, the Chairman of the Gratuity payment Committee, Prof. Adline Idike, said that having cleared the backlog, every retired Civil servant in the state would always be paid immediately after retirement at the office of the Head of Service.

Prof. Idike, who described the payment as a continuous exercise, explained that the turnout was not one hundred percent, though they had a reasonable number of new retirees.

Prof. Idike emphasized that those who could not make it within the seven days stipulated for the verification, still had the opportunity of going through the necessary government offices to receive their gratuities.

Two of the beneficiaries: a retired Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Blessing Ezeoke and a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Deaconess Veronica Osim, who retired as a Director in the state Ministry of Information last year, described the payment of gratuity as a big relief for their families.

Others expressed gratitude to the Prof Adline Idike’s led Gratuity payment Committee for its fairness and speedy payment immediately after the verification.

Ebonyi State Government had last year spent over #3.6 billion naira for a similar exercise as part of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s efforts to fulfill his administration ‘s people’s charter of Needs mantra.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU