C/River to commence automation of LG pension

The Cross River state Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mrs. Stella Odey, says that the local government pension would be automated soon.

Odey made the disclosure when the State Working Committee of the Association of Local Government Pensioners, Cross River state chapter paid a courtesy call on her on Wednesday, in Calabar.

While commending the leadership of the association for their resilience, support and provision of data, the commissioner said that plans were on to put in place machinery that would track pending gratuities.

“The government of Cross River state has restated its commitment to work out modalities geared towards improving the welfare of local government pensioners in the state.

“Gov. Ben Ayade is a listening governor; your needs are the governor’s priority. We must reciprocate the services you have rendered by giving you whatever is your due,” she said.

The commissioner informed the pensioners that the governor had earlier approved and implemented the recommendations of secondment of principal officers to the state pension’s board for effective service delivery.

Earlier, Chairman of the association, Comrade Bassey Okosi, had expressed gratitude to the commissioner for heeding the suggestions that were presented to her in favour of the association.

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Okosi revealed that upon the instructions of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, to provide data on the liabilities of outstanding gratuities by line Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the association took it upon itself to collate and compile the data for onward submission to the governor.

The chairman, who pledged the association’s support to the state government, asked that some of the lingering challenges of the pensioners be resolved.

“As we pledge our support to the ministry, I appeal to the state government to re-address the issue of pensioners who were erroneously omitted from the payroll during the 2016 pension audit conducted by consultants,” he pleaded.