Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
The Gombe State Governor, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved more than N1.3 billion for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed retired local government employees.
THISDAY checks revealed that the Local Government Areas retirees were last paid in 2011.
The governor has also approved the promotion of 26, 085 local government workers notionally and financially across the eleven local government areas of the state with immediate effect.
Of the number of the promoted staff, 6,738 are local government workers, 16,739 are Local Education Authority, LEA teachers while 2,608 are workers at the Primary Health Care Centers. The last time teachers were promoted in the state was in 2009 while promotions with financial benefits were last implemented in 2014. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo disclosed the development during a press conference in his office yesterday.
According to him, pensions, gratuities, salary increment and other entitlements would follow the promotions where Balanga, Gombe, Kaltungo and Yamaltu/Deba local government councils would pay backlog of gratuities for 2012; “Akko, Billiri, Dukku and Shongom will pay for 2012 to 2013; Funakaye will pay for 2012 to 2014 while Nafada will pay for 2012 to 2015 which is estimated at the sum of N1.3 billion.
Dasuki also maintained that all the local government councils in Gombe state have positive balances in their accounts which makes it possible for them to pay salaries, pensions, gratuities and other entitlements as at when due as against the ugly trend before the coming of the present administration.
He said before the inception of the administration of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, local government councils had to take bank loans to pay workers’ salaries, the ugly situation he revealed, has since been reversed.
The commissioner explained that the leadership trajectory of Governor Inuwa Yahaya is such that each local government has become financially independent such that it does not have to depend on other LGAs for financial bailout.
He commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for the approval, especially at such a time when the national economic indicators are telling on the social and economic lives of the people.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Muhammad Gambo Magaji, conveyed the governor’s approval of N1.7 billion for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed 2017 state retirees.
“The payment of backlog of gratuity owed retired workers by the Yahaya-led administration has gulped about N7.9 billion. Recall that Governor Yahaya had earlier paid the backlog of gratuities owed for 2014, 2015 and 2016 state retirees and now for 2017 with the total amount paid out at state level standing at N6.6 billion.
With the N1.3 billion approval for the local government retirees, we now have a total of N7.9 billion paid as backlog of gratuity left by the past administration.”
Gambo Magaji commended the financial management skills of Governor Inuwa Yahaya in seamlessly paying salaries, executing capital projects for the good of the state amidst lean resources. He also commended the governor for breaking the jinx in the implementation of promotions for the LGA workers with financial benefits.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gombe State Chapter, Mr. Bappayo Abdulmumini, on behalf of the local government workers appreciated Governor Inuwa Yahaya for the gesture, saying the pro-workers policies of Governor Inuwa are recipes for Gombe State workers and their families to ensure his seamless return in 2023.
