Gombe Gov approves N3bn for payment of back tips to retirees

Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved the immediate release of more than N3 billion towards the payment of arrears of tips owed to retired local and state government employees which were last paid in 2011 and 2017 respectively.

The governor also approved, effective immediately, the promotion of 26,085 local government employees, notional and financial, in the state’s eleven local government areas.

Of the newly promoted staff, 6,738 are local government employees, 16,739 are local education authorities (LEA) and 2,608 are employees in the Primary Health Care Centers.

Meanwhile, teachers were last promoted in the state in 2009 while promotions with financial benefits were last implemented in 2014.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo revealed the development at a press conference in his office.

According to him, pensions, tips, salary increases and other entitlements will follow the promotions with Balanga, Gombe, Kaltungo and Yamaltu/Deba Municipal Councils paying the 2012 tips arrears; Akko, Billiri, Dukku and Shongom pay for 2012 and 2013; Funakaye pays for 2012 to 2014 while Nafada pays for 2012 to 2015, which is estimated at N1.3 billion.

Ibrahim Dasuki also claimed that all local government councils in Gombe state have positive balances in their accounts which allow them to pay salaries, pensions, tips and other dues as they are due, contrary to the ugly trend before the advent of the current administration.

He said that before the start of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration, local government councils had to take bank loans to pay workers’ salaries, the ugly situation he revealed has since been reversed.

The Commissioner explained that Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s leadership trajectory is such that each local government has become financially independent so that it does not have to depend on other LGAs for a financial bailout.

He then praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya for approving it, especially at a time when national economic indicators say a lot about people’s social and economic lives.

Also, the Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Malam Muhammad Gambo Magaji, spoke of the governor’s approval of the sum of N1.7 billion for the payment of arrears of tips owed to pensioners of the state in 2017.

According to him, “The payment of arrears of tips owed by the Inuwaled administration to retired employees has swallowed up about N7.9 billion. Recall that Governor Inuwa had previously paid the arrears of tips due for 2014, 2015 and 2016 state pensioners and now for 2017 with a total disbursed amount at the state level of N6.6 billion.

“With the approval of N1.3 billion for the local government pensioners, we have now paid a total of N7.9 billion as gratuity arrears left by the previous government,” he stressed.

Gambo Magaji praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s financial management skills in seamlessly paying salaries and executing capital projects for the good of the state amidst meager resources. He also praised the governor for breaking the spell in carrying out promotions for the LGA employees with financial benefits.

Comrade Bappayo Abdulmumini, President of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) Gombe State Chapter, on behalf of local government workers, appreciated Governor Inuwa Yahaya for the gesture.

He said Governor Inuwa’s pro-worker policies are recipes for Gombe State workers and their families to ensure his seamless return in 2023.

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