Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved N1.3 billion for the payment of the backlog of gratuity to retirees of local government councils in the state.
The state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, disclosed this during a press conference on Tuesday.
He said the governor also approved the sum of N1.7 billion for the payment of the backlog of gratuity owed to civil servants that retired from the state civil service in 2017.
“The payment of the backlog of gratuity owed retired workers by this administration has gulped N7.9 billion.
“Governor Yahaya had earlier paid the backlog of gratuities owed for 2014, 2015 and 2016 state retirees and now for 2017,” he said.
According to him, the local government workers’ retirees were last paid gratuity in 2011.
Also, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dasuki Jalo Waziri, said the governor had approved the promotion of 26,085 local government workers across the eleven local government areas of the state with immediate effect.
He gave the breakdown as 6,738 staff of local government councils, 16,739 teachers from the local education authority and 2,608 health workers from the primary healthcare centres of the 11 LGAs.
Dasuki revealed that the last time teachers were promoted in the state was in 2009 while promotions with financial benefits were last implemented in 2014. (Daily Trust)
