Governor Bassey Otu
By Anietie Akpan
Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, has approved the sum of N10 billion for the payment of outstanding gratuities for retired civil and public servants in the state.
Present administration inherited backlog of unpaid gratuities of retirees dating back to the year 2014 and findings by Pillar Today showed that retirees in the state are being owed about N24 billion since 2014.
A statement dated July 26, 2024 from the Office the Chief Press Secretary, Governor’s Office, Calabar, said the promise by the present administration to commence payment since last year has been delayed due to necessary steps for audit and verification.
The statement said, “so far, the audit and verification exercise has uncovered over 2,000 ghost pensioners, who have consequently been expunged from both the State and Local Government Pensions Payrolls.
“With the near completion of the exercise to authenticate genuine pensioners, payment of gratuities will commence in August, 2024”.
The Committee led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has one week from the date of their 1st meeting to submit its report to Government, the statement said.
The Governor has equally approved the constitution of a Committee of the Executives of State and Local Government Pension Unions under the headship of the Secretary to the State Govemment.
The Committee is expected to meet with the Secretary to the State Govemment (SSG) on Monday, 29th July, 2024 with a view to working out modalities for the payment of gratuities to retired Civil and Public Officers in Cross River State.
It is on record that retirees in the state are owed over N24 billion since 2014.
Recall that during the swearing-in ceremony of Dr. Innocent Eteng as the new Head of Service of the state, the governor said, “it is saddening that someone would serve for 35 years, save for a rainy day, and then die for lack of cash to attend to their health needs,” insisting that “such ugly trend must stop.”
Continuing, the governor said: “we want the civil servants to be focused in their places of assignment, knowing that their contributory pension is due them at the end of the day. Because without these people, continuity in governance would not be possible.”