Announcing this during a media conference at the end of its 36th meeting, the Commissioner for Information Mijinyawa Tilde, said no fewer than nine memos were presented before the council presided by Governor Muhammadu Yahaya.
Tilde noted that this was the fifth time the present administration in the state is settling inherited outstanding gratuities to retirees.
“The nine memos were approved and ratified by the State Executive Council,” he added.
Explaining further, Commissioner for Finance, Muhammad Magaji, said N2.291bn would be used to offset the gratuity of the state’s civil service workers.
“This is the fifth time since this current administration took office that the government is clearing backlog this time N2.291 billion is earmarked for the payment of gratuity to deserving and other entitlements of the state’s 2018 retirees, Magaji added.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development Abdulkadir Waziri, said SEC approved memo presented by the ministry for the payment of retired local government workers in the state.
He added, “For payment of gratuities to retirees of local government service of all the 11 Local Government Councils. The local government contributory fund has already earmarked over N3 billion for the payment of retirees. Local Governments are going to pay the backlog up to 2022; some will pay at least two years each this has gone a long way in realising the efforts of His Excellency to reduce the burden of retirees and to better the lives of citizens.”
Commenting on other approvals given by the Finance Ministry, Magaji disclosed that there was an approval of N332m for the payment of compensation to property owners at Bauchi and Dukku motor parks in Gombe metropolis, adding “The governor had constituted a task force/committee to assess properties in those locations, after which they submitted their report and a compensation committee was asked to do a review that was today submitted to the council and N332 million was approved for the payment of the compensation. This is to provide for the relocation of the motor parks to the Mega Motorpark that has been completed by this administration.”
Last year, the Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, said that the state received N2bn out of the N5bn subsidy removal palliative set by the Federal Government.
Yahaya disclosed this at the grand finale of the distribution of palliatives at the Gombe Emir’s palace ground.
