Clement Nanchi 
The Executive Secretary of Ebonyi State Local Government Staff Pension Board Mr Emeka Nwonu, has restated that Governor Francis Nwifuru was not owing pensions and gratuities to council retirees.
Nwonu made the assertion in Abakaliki the capital city on Thursday while briefing newsmen.
Apparently referring to insinuations in some quarters alleging non-payment of initial pensions and gratuities by the State Chief Executive, Nwonu stating that it was an attempt to discredit the government.
He explained that the salaries, wages, allowances, pensions, and gratuities of local government workers (civil servants) including UBEB workers and retirees in Ebonyi State, are being released by the Local Government Areas to the Pension Board, for onward payments and not the state government”
“The current Local Government Chairmen inherited the debt of pensions and gratuities from the previous administrations, the accumulation came upon the unexpected stoppage of remittance of 15% shares from the local government workers salaries, wages and allowances”
“It, therefore, becomes imperative that I announce to you that Governor Nwifuru, is not owing pensions and gratuities to the local government retirees, as the governor is not in control of the local government funds”
“My office and the Local Government Chairmen, have agreed that the pensions and gratuities will be paid in phases, beginning from those who retired between June 2023 and December 2024. Hopefully, the payment will commence within the first quarter of next year”
He noted that Civil servants in Nigeria were managed by three tiers of government namely Federal, State and Local) in line with the principles of federalism that Nigeria practices as a nation.
“Governor Nwifuru had long ago cleared the backlog of pensions and gratuities of the state civil servants which was up to ₦7 billion.
“Due to the financial autonomy, Nwifuru does not butt into the monetary affairs of the Local Government Areas, rather advises or guides the council Chairmen who are also stakeholders in his administration on the presumable best way to operate”
“My office had verified the extant pensions and gratuities as owed to them, collated, processed and profiled the pensioners for immediate payments of their benefits.
” The total sum of N9 billion is to be paid to 4,920 retirees and 1,135 dead pensioners respectively”
The Executive Secretary stated that the local government Chairmen agreed on the table payment method, which would pave the way for physical verification as it’s going on currently the reason the local government workers are being owed.
