Pensions And Gratuities: Ortom Apologises As Hope Shines On Benue Retirees

Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom has apologised to both serving and retired workers in the state for the inability of successive state governments to end the inability to pay benefits to retirees and pensions to former workers.

The governor spoke at the official flag-off ceremony, signaling the formal commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme in Benue State Monday March 9th, 2020.

The ceremony came seven months after the Contributory Pension Commission was inaugurated.

In an emotion laden voice, Governor Ortom bemoaned the suffering of retired government workers who are owed their pensions and gratuities and have had to go through unbearable conditions, pointing out that with the commencement of the scheme, the plight of retirees is in sight.

In his words: “I therefore apologize on behalf of our government as well as previous administrations in the state to our workers both serving and retired for the inability to find a lasting solution to the pension problem before now,” the governor was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Nathaniel Ikyur, his Principal Special Asst on Media.

The governor recalled that one of the most unpleasant realities his administration met when he assumed duty as governor of Benue State in 2015 was the huge pension liabilities he inherited from previous administrations in the State.

According to him, “the pension problem was competing for attention with the humanitarian crisis arising from the perennial herder’s attacks as well as other challenges of development and governance. Sadly, the challenges pilled with the huge shortfalls from our revenue sources, from Federal and Internal.”

Ortom noted that to end the crises faced by retirees, the state has come to the conclusion that the Contributory Pension Scheme is the best solution to the State’s pension problem and asked workers to embrace the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Governor Ortom announced that his administration would create a Special Fund to be invested in interest yielding instruments as one of the measures to raise funds to pay for some of the Contributory Pension Scheme costs and to also pay the entitlements of workers exempted from the Scheme when they retire or to repay debts taken to defray pension liabilities.

Murtala Modibbo, Senior Manager, States Operations of the National Pension Commission, who represented the Acting Director of PENCOM while pledging the agency’s preparedness to partner with state’s to ease the pains retirees go through, asked the Benue state government to engage in public enlightenment campaign to sensitise the workers.

Chairman of the Benue state Pension Commission,  Terna Ahua eralier in his welcome address decried the non payment of pension and gratuities which has brought untold hardship on pensioners in the state, saying with the commencement of this scheme, it will bring an end to the sufferings of the state retirees.

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