Governor Francis Nwifuru has paid gratuities to another 533 retired workers in Ebonyi State.
The retirees are the last batch of the retirees the governor scheduled for payment of their gratuities.
This was contained in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor.
He noted that as of Thursday 9th May 2024, the last batch (phase 11) which comprises spill retirees between 1996 to 2021 was cleared and paid with a total number of two hundred fifty-six (256) retirees receiving their payment in full, bringing the total gratuity amount paid in that category to N394,907,784.91 kobo.
"Also, cleared and paid during the 7-day exercise were retirees between (2022 - 2023), with a total number of two hundred seventy-seven (277) retirees cleared and paid in that category, with a total Gratuity paid, amounting to N1,030,972,870.05.
"It is indisputably correct to say that the Ebonyi state government under the pragmatic leadership of His Excellency the Governor has practically cleared all arrears of gratuity owed retirees from the creation of the state to 2023, with a total Gratuity sum of Five Billion, Thirty-Six Million, Two Hundred and Eleven Thousand, One Hundred and Four Naira, Six Kobo (N5,036,211,140.6) paid
.to a total of Two Thousand, and Ninety Nine (2,099) Retirees.
"Further breakdown of the total sum and beneficiaries reveal that Governor Nwifuru led administration in the first phase of the exercise paid a total of three billion, six hundred and thirty thousand, four hundred and eighty-five Naira, sixty-four Kobo (3,610,330,485.64) to one thousand, five hundred and sixty six (1,566) retirees, who patiently awaited their entitlement between (1996 - 2021), while a total number of Five Hundred and Thirty-Three (533) Retirees were cleared and paid a total gratuity amount of one billion, four hundred and twenty-five million, eight hundred and eighty thousand, six hundred and fifty-four Naira, ninety-six Kobo (N1, 425,880,654.96) in the second phase.
"We, therefore, call on Ebonyians to continue to reciprocate His Excellency's good gestures through prayers and loyalty to his administration as his government girds loins for better gestures in favour of Ebonyi people", he stated.
