The Bayelsa State Government, has set up a six-member committee with the mandate to tackle all the issues concerning the welfare of pensioners in the state.

Inaugurating the Pensioners’ Gratuity Review Committee in Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Seriake Dickson condemned the ugly trend where public servants who had served the state meritoriously are being denied their retirement benefits.

Governor Dickson, who described the public service as “being critical to service delivery,” restated his administration’s commitment towards improving the welfare of both serving and retired civil servants in the state.

‘We don’t want a situation where people serve with all their lives to give their best to this state, and when they retire they are not sure of when they get their gratuities”, he said.

The committee, according to the Governor, is to identify the cause of the backlog in the payment of gratuities and ascertain the exact number of pensioners who are being owed retirement benefits in the state.

Governor Dickson also mandated the committee to determine the  financial implications and advise government on the modalities for the payment of pension arrears, and ways to avert any backlog in the future.

The committee is also expected to undertake a verification exercise to identity if best practice was observed in the compilation of the list of retirees who are due for gratuity payment.

Hon. Dickson, who urged the committee to do a thorough job, expressed government is readiness to begin the process of paying-off the backlog of gratuities as soon as it receives the committee’s report.

The measure, according to Governor Dickson, is to enable government be on a clear standing and ensure that public officers get their retirement benefits as, and at when due.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Mr. Philip Daunemughan commended the Governor for his efforts at repositioning the state civil service for better service delivery.

Mr. Daunemughan, who is a retired Permanent Secretary promised that his committee would approach its assignment with all the seriousness it deserves.

The Committee has Mr. Paul Ogugubeni as its Secretary while the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Ebitimi Okpoi is to serve as member.

Other members include Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Mrs. D. Didi Walson-Jack, Deacon Nathan Ayibakeme and Ms Josephine Lloyd.

The Committee is expected to submit its report within one month.