From Desmond Mgboh Kano
Jigawa State and Local Government Contributory Pension Scheme Board has disbursed over N3.4billion to 1,331 retirees who exited the service between January to July, or had died in active service.
The amount included retirement benefits,death benefits death pension balance and a refund of eight percent contributions.
A statement signed by Nasiru Haruna, the Executive Secretary of the board confirmed this development.
The first batch of 1001 retirees consisting of those who reached the mandatory retirement age of 35 years or had reached sixty years by birth were paid the sum of N2.6 billion
Relatives of 241 staff who died in active service were paid N730 million, while 84 retirees who died before reaching the minimum period of five years after retirement were paid N109 million.
The last batch of retirees who did not contribute up to a period of five years, were paid N2,7 million including 15% interest.
The Executive Secretary of the Board implored the retirees or their next of kins to desist from involving a third party to process their retirement benefits, saying the board will never ask a third party to facilitate and or to receive any amount from retiree before their payments are done,.
“Our services are free.; dont bribe any of our staff for your terminal benefits” he cautioned.
“If any person should ask you for money within and outside the pension house to process your payment, the person is a fraud and should be reported to the Board for a necessary penalty,” Haruna told the retirees.
“The pension Board processes payments of retirees immediately the Directorate of Salary and Pension Administration forwards the particulars of the retiring workers to the pension Board” he added.
He said with the recent approval, the State Government has released over N5.4b to the Jigawa State and Local Governments Contributory Pension Scheme Board as bailout and the Board has cleared all the outstanding payment of gratuities.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked the Governor for prioritizing the eekfare of pensioners.
One of the retirees from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ado Garba expressed gratitude to the administration whike Uwani Bako said she received her gratuity and pension arrears, and would invest them in agriculture.
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