Nasarawa State Government says that a grant from the World Bank Special Package for States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) would be set aside to clear a backlog of gratuities of retired civil servants in the state.
This is just as the retirees in the state are hopeful of accessing their long-awaited gratuity in batches monthly from a percentage from the grant to ameliorate their hardship.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule disclosed this while receiving a report of the committee on the implementation of promotions and salary arrears in the state public service, at the Government House, Lafia.
According to the governor, for the first time in the history of the state, Nasarawa has benefited from the World Bank special package for States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS), that was given to states that are transparent, accountable and follow the due process.
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Sule said, by the time the funds are made available, his administration would set aside a special amount for the payment of gratuity of retired workers who participated and helped towards developing the state.
“Certain amount of money from the World Bank will go for gratuity and I will keep to that commitment.
“I will make sure that a certain percentage of this money goes straight to pay gratuity,” he stated.
On the recommendations of the committee, Sule said that he was going to offset the outstanding August 2016 salary arrears, to deserving civil servants in the state, out of fairness, justice and accountability.
He stressed that, in order to be fair and just, there is need to pay outstanding August 2016 salary arrears to civil servants that were not paid as at when due, and the approval for the payment, will remain pending until another committee put in place to look into the issue of the new national minimum wage submits its report.
“I told you we are going to get a grant from the World Bank. I’m happy to announce to you that just yesterday, we received the first tranche,” the Governor said.
He added, even though his administration accepted to whatever that was agreed on the implementation of promotions and salary arrears, there is however the need to await the resolution of the committee on the new national minimum wage before final approval is given.
He observed, out of the commitments he made to the people of the state before assuming office, only the issue of National Minimum wage pending.
Sule appealed to members of the Committee on the New National Minimum Wage, chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe, to expedite action and conclude its assignment.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Philip Dada, said the committee was not able to submit its report within the stated period because of systemic challenges encountered during the course of its assignment, especially the absence of readily available data for use.
Dada, who is the state Commissioner of works said that the committee has discovered the existence of one-month salary arrears for the month of August 2016, while also indicating the financial implications of the outstanding salary arrears.
