From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Kano state government has said that it is processing the payment of gratuity, amounting to N6 billion to 5,200 pensioners.
Governor Abba Yusuf of the state, last week announced that his administration would commence payment of gratuities and other entitlements to pensioners of lower cadre.
Speaking to journalists in Kano on Friday, the Executive Chairman, Kano State Pension Fund Trustees, Habu Muhammad Fagge said the payment is on process.
According to him, the process of the payment is cumbersome as the board is sorting out voluminous files of the beneficiaries, some of which were dated up to 1973.
He said the board has to sort out the correct details of each of the 5200 beneficiaries from their files, which according to him are too voluminous.
He urged the beneficiaries to exercise patients as the pension board is working day and night to ensure effective disbursement of the fund soon.
“We have a file of about 50 years with us here. The files are too voluminous that we could not even have space to keep them here. We had to take them to other ministries and state library.
“We can’t pay the beneficiaries unless we sort out all these files. The payment process is not the one that should be done haphazardly.
“The issue of light is also a problem. The government has donated 1,000 litres of diesel every month to us to enable us power out generator in order to do the work effectively.
“I therefore call on the beneficiaries to be patient as work is on top gear to ensure effective disbursement of the fund,” Fagge appealed.
He explained that the payment would be for Local Government pensioners from 2016-2019 with beneficiaries whose money is N1.5 million downwards.
For the state government pensioners, according to the Chairman, pensioners from 2016-2022 with beneficiaries whose amount is N1.5 million downwards.
He also warned the beneficiaries to be cautious of scammers who could request money from them to have way for their payment, stressing that the government will not collect any money from the beneficiaries.
The Chairman also said the payment would be through banks, appealing to the pensioners not to come to the pension board when the payment commences.
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