Nasarawa State Government, says it will sanction any civil servants subjecting pensioners to hardships by creating unnecessary bottlenecks that will make it difficult to access their gratuity and other benefits in the state.
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Abdullahi Sule on pension matters, Mr Abdullahi Adokwe-Ladan stated this today, Thursday August 18, while briefing journalists after a meeting with pension desk officers and leaders of pensioners union in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.
The governor, who frowned at the corrupt attitude of Local Government pension desk officers and Internal Auditors, said he would take stringent measures against any civil servant responsible for the delay in the payment of retirees’ entitlements across the thirteen local government areas of the state.
He described the attitude of Internal Auditors and pension desk officers of local government and development areas, towards the smooth computation of retirement benefits of local government workers as worrisome.
The SSA warned them to desist from such acts, applauding the state government for its determination towards meeting the needs of pensioners across the state, through the state pension bureau and appealed for more support in order to succeed.
He stated, ”People get stagnated when they are not on salary and they’re not on pension, the government is not happy over this, you know governor Abdullahi Sule, one priority areas in his administration is to ensure a robust pension administration in the state.
”Since his assumption in office, the payment of pension and gratuity is being regular and all the time, he has been in dialogue with the leadership of pensioners to ensure the welfare of pensioners in the state”.
The Director of Finance and Account of Nasarawa State Local Government pension, Mr Emmanuel Umbugadu highlighted the need for participants to complete and forward their files early for speedy handling by the pension bureau.