The Governor of Ebonyi State, Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has revealed that the state would engage the services of external auditors to scrutinize the books of local government areas in the state.
Governor Nwifuru disclosed this when he received members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Ebonyi State Council on a courtesy visit at the Government House Abakaliki
The Governor who decried the discrepancies notice in the payment of salaries and retirement benefits at the local government system observed that salaries and pensions are increasing simultaneously in the system.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abakaliki, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor quoted him as saying that ” there’s a lot of falsification of age in the service, some will continue to falsify their age until 70 years and above when they will no longer be productive.”
“Part of the reasons they engage on the falsification is to remain in service because there is no guarantee that they will receive their benefits when they retire. That is what we are trying to discourage by making sure that pensioners receive their entitlements as and when due.”
On the on- going payment of gratuities to State civil and public servants , the governor said he has directed the committee to extend the deadline until all the gratuities are cleared.
Earlier the State Chairman of the NUP, Mr. Donatus Nwofe commended the Governor for embarking on the payment of arrears of gratuities to retired workers.
“For the payment of gratuities to civil/ public servants from the year 1996 to 2021, you have done what Napoleon Bonaparte could not do and given Ebonyi pensioners hope. They can now feed three times a day, pay for their medications and children’s school fees, consequently they will live longer, ” the NUP Chairman said.