By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has released the sum of N576 million for the payment of 413 pensioners in the state as part of efforts to offset all pension arrears.
Director-General of the state Pension Board, Alhaji Usman Mohammed, stated this yesterday in a press briefing, adding that those that benefited included eight retired Permanent Secretaries, two Sharia Court judges, and state/local government retirees.
He explained that the 413 beneficiaries constituted the third batch in the payment of the pensioners, adding that in the first batch, 549 pensioners were paid N630 million worth gratuity while the second batch was made up of 404 beneficiaries whose arrears were settled with N491 million.
He said pensioners from 14 local governments of the state were paid in the first batch, six local governments in the second batch and five in the third local governments.
The director-general said the payments were made possible from bailout fund received by the state government, adding that the board had ensured thorough screening of beneficiaries to avoid multiple collections.
He said the government was in consultation with stakeholders to resolve the impasse in the new contributory scheme which was suspended in the state in 2015.
He said an executive was being fine tuned for presentation to the House of Assembly aimed at solving inherent challenges in the operation of the new contributory scheme in the state.
