Saturday, January 16, 2021
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
TheNewsGuru
  • Home
  • Columnist
  • News
    • National
    • World
  • Politics
  • Business News
  • Entertainment
  •         Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
TheNewsGuru
  • Home
  • Columnist
  • News
    • National
    • World
  • Politics
  • Business News
  • Entertainment
  •         Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
TheNewsGuru
No Result
View All Result

Home » Nigeria » Ortom apologises to Benue pensioners over N20bn arrears

Ortom apologises to Benue pensioners over N20bn arrears

Olaotan Falade by Olaotan Falade
September 6, 2019
in Nigeria
0
Ortom replies APC leaders mounting pressure on him to dump PDP
17
SHARES
424
VIEWS
Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on TelegramSend as Email

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, on Friday, met with the protesting pensioners in the state, promising to release N611million to complete the payment of their April and May 2018 pensions, out of 25 months or N20 billion owed.

The governor, who met the aggrieved pensioners at the entrance of the Government House in Makurdi where they had been sleeping in the last three days, said that the delay in the payment of their pensions was not deliberate.

The pensioners stormed the Government House on Wednesday, to protest the non-payment of their pension allowances and gratuities which spanned 25 months.

Ortom explained to the senior citizens that his administration inherited unpaid pension allowances of over N34 billion, with outstanding gratuities of over N17 billion.

READ ALSO

Ayade to build social housing for Obudu Ranch Resort host communities

Acting Chief Judge orders 30 protesting magistrates to vacate office

15 hours ago
515
14 die from Cholera outbreak in Benue

14 die from Cholera outbreak in Benue

20 hours ago
425

He said although his administration was able to make significant efforts in the payment of the arrears of pension and gratuities, government was still owing over N20 billion.

The governor said that his administration would have to seek for an overdraft of N611 million to be able to complete the shortfalls from the April and May 2018, assuring that the money would be paid latest by September 10.

He further explained this his administration has also moved a step further by signing into law the PENCOM Bill and constituting the state pension commission as one of the ways of finding lasting solutions to the issue of pension and gratuities.

He said that government would continue to source for funds to meet its obligations to the citizens, especially the senior ones.

Ortom formally apologized to the senior citizens over the inability of the government to pay them their entitlement as and when due.

He told protesting pensioners that he was not happy with government’s inability to pay them their entitlements and promised to continue to source for funds to meet their demands.

The governor said that government was working on getting a N40 billion bond to address some of the challenges currently facing the state.

“I am very ashamed before all of you and as a state, that I, as a governor, am seeing the precarious situation you are all in today.

“I have no reason to justify our inability to pay you your entitlements. Some of you are receiving very small amounts. We will look for ways to resolve this problem,” he said.

The Chairman of Concerned Pensioners, Mr Peter lkyado, expressed appreciation to the governor for taking time to meet them and urged him to quickly meet their demands as promised.

He said that the pensioners were not happy over the non-payment of their pension allowances and gratuities which had accumulated to 25 months.

Ikyado also said that his members were demanding for the harmonisation of their pensions in line with the new salary structure in the state.

He explained that as senior citizens, they were supposed to be placed on first line charge, but regretted that the reverse has been the case since the beginning of the Ortom-led administration.

Some of the pensioners insisted that they would not leave the entrance to the Government House where they had been protesting since Wednesday until their demands were met.

The senior citizens were seen lying on their mats, hours after their meeting with the governor.

Tags: BenueOrtomPensioners

Related Posts

Ayade to build social housing for Obudu Ranch Resort host communities
Nigeria

Acting Chief Judge orders 30 protesting magistrates to vacate office

15 hours ago
515
14 die from Cholera outbreak in Benue
Health

14 die from Cholera outbreak in Benue

20 hours ago
425
Benue govt imposes curfew on 2 LGs
News

Benue govt imposes curfew on 2 LGs

3 days ago
465
Load More
Next Post

Nigeria sliding to anarchy daily under Buhari - PDP

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get breaking news direct on your device.

Get Latest News

Trending News

  • Trending: Akwa Ibom corper allegedly hacks boyfriend to death [Graphic footage]

    Trending: Akwa Ibom corper allegedly hacks boyfriend to death [Graphic footage]

    421 shares
    Share 168 Tweet 105
  • BREAKING: Ndubuisi Kanu, former military administrator of Imo, Lagos, is dead

    312 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
  • JUST IN: Billionaire owner of Planet One nightclub, Shaka Momoh dies of COVID-19

    181 shares
    Share 72 Tweet 45
  • Failed marriage: I was stupid, women should be like Tiwa Savage,  Funke Akindele –Princess

    463 shares
    Share 185 Tweet 116
  • I know some players complain behind my back, Lampard reveals

    125 shares
    Share 50 Tweet 31
  • CAN tackles Islamic Group for telling Kukah to apologise or leave Sokoto

    117 shares
    Share 47 Tweet 29
  • Trending: Buhari’s appointee, Willy Amadi caught in sex scandal tape [+ Video]

    111 shares
    Share 44 Tweet 28
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Columnist
  • News
    • National
    • World
  • Politics
  • Business News
  • Entertainment
  •         Tech
  • Sports

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist