Niger govt releases N1bn for payment of pension, gratuities

Niger State Government has begun the payment of N1 billion in gratuities to 178 pensioners out of about 15,000 beneficiaries to the sum of N14 billion owed the state and local governments retirees.

Director General of the State Pension Board, Alhaji Nasiru Saidu Namaska made this known while addressing journalists during the official flag-off of gratuity payment on Thursday in Minna, saying “no pensioner will be paid without being thoroughly screened”.

Namaska said any pensioner who failed to present all the valid documents as required will automatically rule himself/ herself out of the exercise in line with accountability, transparency, and honesty modalities being put in place by the Board in conjunction with the state government.

He explained that the N500 million each is being earmarked for both state and local government pensioners for the disbursement to the retirees to the sum of N1billion, noting that the local government will start their payment very soon.

According to him Niger state government is indebted to the tune of N14 billion in retirement benefits and assured that the state government is not relenting in settling such debt and hence would sustain the payment in batches.

Namaska further hinted that the state government is owing N2billion death gratuities in addition to one point three billion naira augmentation for pensioners that moved from the old to the new pension scheme as well as N3 billion for monthly pension.

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