From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas has approved the payment of five months’ salary arrears owed to local government staff in the state to ease their hardship.
Hon. Emmanuel Bello, the Special Assistant on Media and Digital Communications to the governor, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun on Sunday.
Bello said that some of the salary arrears date back as far as 2014, and that the governor has approved the immediate commencement of payments in tranches.
“As you are aware, this administration inherited a lot of outstanding pensions, gratuities, salaries, and other outstanding payments. Despite the lean resources relative to the demands, the governor has tackled the payment of gratuities and pensions. Some people who retired over ten years ago only got enlisted during this administration.
“Having stabilised the payment of pensions and gratuities, as well as regular salaries, the governor has again approved the offsetting of salaries that are owed local government staff for five months cumulatively. Mind you, some of the outstanding dates as far back as 2014.
“This, of course, is in line with the efforts of this administration to reform the civil service and prioritise staff welfare at all levels to increase productivity and improve the living conditions of workers,” Bello said.
(The Sun)