By; ARCHIBONG ESUENE, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has been commended by Pensioners in the State for prioritising their welfare through regular payment of their monthly pensions.
This was contained in a statement by Bridget Ikyado, Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communications recently in Makurdi
The group under the auspices of ‘Concerned Pensioners Association of Benue’ gave the commendation recently, during a solidarity rally in support of the Alia-led administration.
In an address read by the Chairman of the group, Hon. Akosu Orban Alexis at the Government House, Makurdi, the Concerned Pensioners recalled how they had highlighted their problems and grievances occasioned by the outgone administration in the state to Governor Hyacinth Alia and had pleaded with him to address same which according to them, it took the governor a short while to provide solutions to such grievances.
“You regularised payment of our monthly salaries which was paid 3 times in one year by the previous administration. You placed all the pensioners on the payroll immediately after retirement. You cleared the gratuity of those retired during your administration to pave way for you to face only the arrears incurred by the previous administration.”
While highlighting some of the achievements of the governor in office, such as construction of road networks within Makurdi and other towns, provision of 100 buses to Benue Links Company.
Others include reconstruction of Benue State House of Assembly Complex, payment of WAEC and NECO registration for Benue State indigenes schooling in all government schools across the state.
They group noted that the good governance offered by the present administration in the state was the reason most of the cases instituted against the state government by pensioners have been withdrawn, calling on the governor to implement the report on the harmonization of the pension rates as enshrined in the 1999
constitution
Responding, Governor Hyacinth Alia said the solidarity rally by the Concerned Pensioners was a big defining moment for the administration.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Paul Biam, the governor thanked the pensioners for trusting him with their votes and also for withdrawing the cases that were instituted against the government, promising to do more not just for the pensioners but for all the workers and entire people of the state.
