In a move to ensure that retired primary school teachers and other local government retirees in Enugu State receive their outstanding pensions and gratuities, Governor Peter Mbah has established a special committee.
At the Government House in Enugu, the governor officially inaugurated the nine-member committee, emphasizing his dedication to ensuring that former employees who had served and helped to build the state were rewarded for their contributions.
The governor noted that the new committee is modeled after a previous committee that was formed to clear overdue pensions and gratuities owed to state civil servants since 2006.
He also noted that this new committee’s appointment is in line with his campaign promise to the people and urged the committee to use their experience and integrity in doing their work.
The governor went on to say that the committee members were chosen based on their track records and credibility, and that the previous committee’s report and recommendations would serve as a valuable guide.
The tasks given to the committee includes: verify and determine all outstanding pensions and gratuities owed to local government employees and primary school teachers, verify and determine the total number of local government employees and primary school teachers who have retired, Suggest a payment plan or module for all verified pensions and gratuities, Submit its findings and report within three weeks of its inauguration.
He said “This is the continuation of our passion to ensure that there is an equitable approach to the way pensions and gratuity matter is being addressed.
“We have taken out time to inaugurate the state-level team and they have been working diligently. We will all agree that verification is critical to the success of this project. So, what you are going to be doing is almost mirroring what is being done at the state level, but because that of local governments might be a bit complex, we needed the level of experience of the people we have here.
“Chairman of the committee, Rev. Fr. Nnamdi Ambrose Nwankwo, is someone we can trust and hold very high esteem. Your recommendations will determine what my administration does as a policy declaration after you have also submitted your report.
“By this Friday, the State Committee on Pensions and Gratuities will be handing in their report. You have a duration of three weeks to do yours. Yours is going to be looking at the data we have already; to see if they are credible and the processes. That is why your selection is very critical.
“We have confidence that you will provide that level of expertise and credibility to the process.
“Like I said to the committee at the state level, which the SSG chairs; two things are very important: hope and credibility.”
Responding to their inauguration, the chairman of the committee who also doubles as Rector, Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, Fr. Nwankwo pledged that the team would not disappoint the government and the people of the state as they had what it took to deliver on the assignment.
He vowed that the team would come up with plausible and outstanding suggestions that would be beneficial to the people, especially those retirees who were in urgent need of the succour the governor would avail them of.