Bayelsa Govt Advises Retirees To Remain Calm, Stop Lobbying For Payment Of Gratuity

Bayelsa Government has instructed pensioners in the state to maintain peace and orderliness in the ongoing payment of gratuities owed them.

Permanent Secretary of the state pensions board, Mrs Nancy Ikelemo handed down the advise while speaking with The Tide in Yenagoa.

Ikelemo noted that while staff of the board are leaving no stone unturned in the payment of gratuities to retirees of the state civil service, the issue of panic enrollment by those whose batch of payment is not yet due is the bane of the expeditious rounding up of the exercise which commenced from the inception of the Governor Douye Diri’s administration, February this year.

Ikelemo argued that, but for the board’s stance against those lobbying for inclusion amongst the current batches they are dealing with, the scheme would have been overwhelmed, saying that for the good of the state they would continue putting in their best of services.

She disclosed that the board started with the offsetting of 2008 gratuities, just as she mentioned that there is random shortlisting of beneficiaries across the 8 local governments of the state.

“We don’t want pensioners whose batches have

not been shortlisted to lobby for inclusion. They’ll be contacted and paid when their batches are due for payment”, she said.

“Infact some of them came full of happiness and appreciation to the Government. They said they received their alerts unexpectedly in their houses”, she added.

“Pensioners of the state civil service should please be calm and patient with the board. Already we’re through with many of them who retired between 2008 and beyond”, she said.

The permanent secretary applauded the state Governor for his magnanimity and love for both active and retired civil servants, saying that on monthly basis the Governor since his inception into office has been consistent in releasing no fewer than #150,000,000m and above for the payment of gratuities.