Rivers Pensioners List Benefits Of Biometrics

Pensioners in Rivers State have linked payment of their arrears and allowances to the successful biometric exercise carried out by the Gov. Nyesom Wike-led government in the state.

Rivers State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Edward Abibo, said this recently in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

He said that the electronic system of verifying NUP members and others eased up the process of the payment.

Abibo pointed out that the previous arrears were cleared within two months of assumption of office by the present administration.

The NUP boss, reasoned that the process would have delayed, if it were in the analogue days.

According to him, his members were somehow doubtful about the governor’s promise to pay all arrears immediately after the exercise due to the accumulated monthly pension of about six months.

He pointed out that the decision of the government to do a biometric verification was an excellent idea, going by the positive result it has produced so far.

“We waited painstakingly for the biometric exercise to be carried out which was concluded in September, by October the Governor approved the payment of two months, and another four months arrears in November”, he said.

He lamented that past administrations in the state made things sour for retirees by making them pass through the rigorous analogue process.

To ascertain the accurate number of pensioners in the state, he said, was another gain of the biometric exercise.

It would be recalled that the biometric exercise carried out recently by the State Government has saved funds running into billions for the state.

King Onunwor