The Executive Secretary, Local Government Staff pension Board, Mr Emeka Nwonu says, Governor Francis Nwifiru is not owing Local Government retirees, contrary to insinuation making the rounds in some sections of the social medua as the responsibility of payment of Local Government retirees is in the hands of council Chairmen and according him, they are ready to commence the payments.
Nwonu, revealed this during a press briefing in his office, Thursday.
He said that the clarification became imperative owing to the misconceptions and blame game created by the enemy of the state concerning payment of gratuity and pension of retired Local Government Staff in the state..
Here him;
"It has become unavoidably necessary that I update the public once again on the yet-to-be paid initial pensions and gratuities to Ebonyi State Local Government Retirees as some critics have taken to the media in the recent time to blame the Executive Governor of the State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bildr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, GGCEHF, FNIOB, FCAI for the non payment, thereby, attempting to discredit his government.
"You may recall that I had before now on invitations and in different occasions appeared in different radio stations in the state to brief the public on why the Local Government retirees in our dear state between 1996 and 2023 are yet to be paid their initial pensions and gratuities. I had also in several times before now published the information on some of our local tabloids.
"Having known that the public are being misinformed by the opposition elements in the state on situational reality, it therefore, becomes imperative that I announce it to you that His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bildr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is not owing pensions and gratuities to the local government retirees as the governor is not in control of the local government funds. As such, I wish to put the record straight.
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THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER:
" Civil servants in Nigeria are managed by three tiers of government (federal, state and local) in line with the principles of federalism that Nigeria practises as a nation. Each of these tiers of government has a Civil Service Commission trusted with the constitutional responsibilities and statutory obligations to employ and determine the salary structures and retirement benefits of the civil servants and retirees under it.
" In lieu of the above, the salaries, wages, allowances, pensions and gratuities of the local government workers(civil servants) including UBEB workers who are in the field, and retirees in Ebonyi State are being released by the Local Government Areas to the Local Government Staff Pension Board for onward payments as determined or charted by the State Local Government Service Commission and not the state government. The workers friendly governor had long ago cleared the backlog of pensions and gratuities of the state civil servants which was up to ₦7b. .
"Gentlemen of the press, it pleases me to remind you in case you have forgotten that the Governor of Ebonyi state, His Excellency, Rt Hon Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru had on 1st October 2023 in his Independence Day address granted 100% financial autonomy to the Local Government Areas, a pronouncement that received expansive accolades within and outside our dear state, by implication, and significantly, the Local Government Chairmen have more powers to preside over the expenditures of their funds as being completely released to them by the State Joint Account Committee. He made the pronouncement before the ruling of the Supreme Court that granted the same.
"Due to the financial autonomy, His Excellency the governor who believes much in the tenets of democracy and uphold the principles of rule of law does not butt into the monetary affairs of the Local Government Areas, but rather as the father of the state advises or guides the Local Government Chairmen who are also stakeholders in his administration on the presumable best way to operate, the position has held excellently well since he came on board.
WHAT MY OFFICE HAS DONE
"was on Thursday, 18th January, 2024 graciously inaugurated by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bildr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as the Executive Secretary of Ebonyi State Local Government Staff Pension Board with a charge in line with the policy thrust of his administration which is anchored on "The People's Charter Of Needs to go to the board and do total transformation for the senior citizens who have meritoriously served our dear state at the local government levels be paid their retirement benefits. His Excellency visibly frowned at the conditions of the local government retirees who are yet to get their retirement benefits and reiterated the readiness and willingness of his people-oriented administration(which the local government chairmen are part of) to pay them, and directed me to verify the extant pensions and gratuities as owed to them, collate, process and profile the pensioners for immediate payments of their benefits.
"In compliance with His Excellency's directive, I immediately made significant steps, got some findings from the principal officers and related stakeholders that would ensure prospective and successful profiling and processes of payment of retirement benefits to the deserved pensioners. After about two weeks, I went back and presented my reports to His Excellency, having a total of N9,044,402,05.40bn to be paid to 4920 retirees and 1135 dead pensioners respectively. I was given a further directive by the governor, which we are almost through with. We also embarked on pensioners verification across the 13 LGAs
"I and my team have done much. It may interest you to know that while my office is tiding up all the processes and coming to fruitful conclusion, several meetings have been held, committees constituted as implored and directed by His Excellency who feels the pulses of Ebonyi people. In all of these, the local government chairmen were always part of the meetings and committees as people who will pay the money, either being represented by ALGON Chairman and the Chairman Joint Account Committee and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Matters, or all of them would be involved.
WHY THE PENSIONS AND THE GRATUITIES ARE YET TO BE PAID AND WHO ACTUALLY OWES THE PENSIONERS
"Having presented the total amount to be paid to the local government retirees from 1996 to 2023 amounting to over N9 billion, the council chairmen said that the money was humongous, they gave reports from whistle blowers that their was corruption in salaries management of the local government workers, stressing that people had been retiring but salaries kept increasing. It is in the light of above that the local government chairmen agreed on table payment method which would pave way for physical verification as it's going on currently, the reason the local government workers are being owed. With this, ghost workers will be fished out and money saved. The current local government chairmen inherited the debt of pensions and gratuities from the previous administrations. The accumulation came upon the unexpected stoppage of remittance of 15% shares from the the local government workers salaries, wages and allowances.
WAY FORWARD
"As my office is putting the final touches on the processes as directed by the governor, the local government chairmen are on their own, doing a lot of things so significant. My office and the local government chairmen have agreed that the pensions and gratuities will be paid in phases, beginning from those who retired between June 2023 and December 2024. Hopefully, the payment will commence within the first quarter of next year.
ON THE ONGOING WARNING STRIKE
"Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru does not in any form deserve distractions in the name of industrial action. The governor has shown mercy to Ebonyi workers: He is the first governor among his contemporaries to add ₦20,000 to the workers' salaries. The first time Ebonyi workers got ₦100,000 as Christmas largesse, it is under Gov Nwifuru's administration. On 1st May, 2024, the governor shared ₦10,000 each for Ebonyi workers as lunch, first of its kind in our dear state. Gov Nwifuru approved ₦75,000 minimum wage above the ₦70,000 national minimum wage which has long ago reflected on their salaries. The governor bought CNG buses for Ebonyi workers to take them to and fro their work places with a view to cushioning the effects of hike in transportation. Under the governor, the workers have gone on promotions and their benefits reflected on their salaries. To boast the workforce, the governor has employed and is still employing people into the state clCivil Service, Judicial Service, UBEB, SEB and others.
"To that effect, Ebonyi workers should ignore their so called leaders who are federal civil servants and be mindful of and cooperate with the governor who has them at heart. They should see the need to separate themselves from the strike in their own interest. The governor is a good man and places Ebonyi people first in everything, the workers should take advantage of it and open further discussions with the governor should they need any other thing from him".
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