ADAMAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF PENSION BOARD'S QUEST IN ENSURING PROMPT PAYMENT OF OUTSTANDING ARREARS
The creation of the Local Government Pension Board in each state is
tailored to ensuring-
1. Registration of new retirees and paying them monthly pension.
2. Paying gratuity to retirees and deceased next of kin.
3. Payment of monthly pension to all cadre from Local Government,
Emirate Council, District Heads office, Primary Health Care
Development Agency and Local Education Authority.
The board has for the past ten years, received from the Ministry of
Local Government Affairs the sum of only #100million, while the edict
setting up the board, stated that based on deductions, the sum of
about #271million monthly should be given to the board every month.
The Local Government Pension Board is different from the State Pension
Board for the fact, that the State Pension Board do not pay pension
monthly as the pension is being paid by the office of the
Accountant-General together with salaries. What the State Pension
Board pay is the gratuity of the state retirees.
Commendation goes to the Executive Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab
Abdullahi, and his able lieutenants such as the Director of Finance
for wonderful job of capturing the about nearly Three Thousand
retirees, that hitherto are not on payroll.
They were able to registered new pensioners, who were not pay for five
to six years. The untiring efforts of the Chairman also, and his
Commissioners pay off as the Governor Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla, in his
magnanimity approved one billion out of the Paris club refund to be
shared with the State Pension Board.
The Executive Secretary doesn't hesitate in paying any beneficiary
his/her own entitlement if necessary processes were followed. Pension
is a right not a privilage that every retired civil servant has the
right to be paid his or her gratuity and monthly pension.
The arrears of pension in the Board, amounted to over #2.13b. It is
worth saying, that government need to ponder over the profile of the
Local Government Pension Board and do something tangible to see, that
all the retirees in the Local Government get their pension and their
gratuity.
This is because from 2012 to date, there are about three((3) thousand
retirees, that were not on the payroll and more are still joining the
queue.
A lot of people frowned over the way, the pensioners are being treated
after their service in the public service especially in the Local
Government. Let me also stress the point, that it is not a bed of
roses to the people that served at the Local Government once they join
the bandwagon as retirees.
It is disturbing for one, to be put in a tight corner after his
service to the people and the nation. Therefore, the government need
to be mindful of pension of the Local Government pensioners by
constant payment of pension and gratuity.
The present leadership of the Adamawa State Local Government Pension
Board is doing every thing humanly possible in seeing, that all the
pensioners of the Local Government receive their pension and gratuity.
This is the leeway for them to enjoy the fruit of their labour.
The situation at this time, has worsens in the pension board due to
underfunding by the government. The proper thing to be done is for the
government to as a matter urgency secure a bond with some reputable
banks in the country to offset the backlog of pension and gratuity.
What is going on in the Local Government Pension Board now is in the
right direction as the management under the able Executive Secretary
has put things in better perspective towards ameliorating the plight
of pensioners of the Local Government, who were treated with disdain
by the previous administration.
The present government should consider this teething problem, that is
so worrisome to a lot of people, that feel if care is not well taken
can ground the state in no distant future as now the amount needed to
pay out all the liabilities is near #7billion in the Local Government
Pension Board.
A stitch in time save nine.
By
Usman Santuraki
No2 Santuraki Close
Jambutu
Jimeta-Yola