From Umar Dankano, Yola
The Adamawa state Pension Board has on Monday commenced the verification exercise of pensioners who retired from the state civil service.
A visit to the state Pension Board premises by our correspondent in Yola, Adamawa state capital saw multitude of the retirees on queues waiting patiently and orderly for turns to be screened by the officials of the board.
Executive Chairman of the Board, Chief Thomas Madi in an interview with newsmen said 500 retirees are being screened for the exercise with a view to authenticate them before releasing the funds to those eligible.
Chief Madi expressed gratitude to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for frequent release of funds to the board for onward payment to pensioners in the state stated that the beneficiaries (retirees) are for those who retired from service in January to May 2013 respectively.
Madi announced that the exercise was made possible with release of N1.3 billion by the Governor Fintiri’s administration which will cover gratuities of retired workers from January to May 2013.
He also explained that since the emergence of Fintiri’s administration, the state board has accessed over N5 Billion for payment of gratuity and pension arrears in the state noting that even in 2021, the government released N1.5billion.
He commended the effort of government for monthly payment of gratuities to deserving retirees despite the backlog of N20 billion pension arrears owned by the retirees maintaining that Governor Fintiri’s administration is determined to upset it gradually.
Collaborating on the exercise, Member II of pension board Muhammad Ibrahim Attah said previous governments did nothing in area of gratuity and pension until the present Fintiri’s administration.
Attah said the allocation of funds to pension board was a fulfilment of campaign promises which the retirees and their families are full of gratitude to Governor Umaru Fintiri’s administration.
A pensioner at the verification exercise, Polycap Edwin Mapeo expressed delight over the exercise which he described orderly and fast in nature.
Mapeo thanked the board and Governor Fintiri’s administration for showing concern to plight of civil service retirees calling on other governments to emulate the commendable gesture.
