By Steve Oni, Ilorin
The Executive Secretary, Kwara State Pension Board, Aliyu Boni Shuaibu, has commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for bringing joy to senior citizens in the state following his timely payments of their entitlements since he assumed office in May last year.
Shuaibu, who spoke while the governor paid an impromptu visit to the board in Ilorin, the state capital, said: “Pensioners in the state are praying for you because you have brought great joy to them and their families. Your timely release of their money has led to up to date payment of state pension. You have also started clearing gratuities from March, 2014 where the former government stopped. This is a great thing and we are very grateful to you.”
The pension board chief said the state currently owes at least N11bn in gratuities from the previous years, adding the board was getting N150m monthly which abruptly stopped long ago until Governor AbdulRazaq came in last May to restore the gratuities by paying ₦100M monthly which has been regular.
He also commended AbdulRazaq for approving training and retraining of staff of the Board through the office of Head of Service, while urging the Governor to consider enrolling Kwara State in the contributory pension scheme to lessen the burden of debt.
AbdulRazaq also visited the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to inspect the facility and exchange ideas on its status with the leadership of the union.
The Governor, who arrived the facility unannounced in company of just his media aide and Aide-de-camp, said government would rehabilitate the shaky building once “I get an expert report on its status.” He was taken round the facility by the NUJ Chairman, Umar Abdulwahab.
AbdulRazaq also visited the Herald newspaper office, where he interacted with its workers and leadership, promising that steps would be taken to ensure the viability of the medium, including strengthening its online presence in line with global trend.
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