‘Don’t distract Gov. Nwifuru with strike action – LGSPB boss, Nwonu tells Ebonyi workers

….says ghost workers will soon be fish out in LGAs

By Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki 

The Executive Secretary, Ebonyi State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Emeka Nwonu on Thursday urged the leadership and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state to desist from distracting the governor, Francis Nwifuru with strike action. 

Nwonu, in a related development emphasized that the governor, Francis Nwifuru is not in control of the local governments fund and as such, did not owe any gratuity and pension to Local government retirees.

The Executive Secretary, Nwonu who made this known while briefing journalists in Abakaliki, said that the governor, Nwifuru has shown mercy to Ebonyi workers and deserves not to be distracted with any strike action.

He said: “Under the governor, the workers have gone on promotions and their benefits reflected on their salaries. To boast the workforce, the governor has employed and is still employing people into the state Civil Service, Judicial Service, UBEB, SEB and others. 

“Ebonyi workers should ignore their so called leaders who are federal civil servants and be mindful of and cooperate with the governor who has them at heart. They should see the need to separate themselves from the strike in their own interest. 

“The governor is a good man and places Ebonyi people first in everything, the workers should take advantage of it and open further discussions with the governor should they need any other thing from him” he stressed.

On the issue of payment of gratuity and pension to Local government retirees, Nwonu said that it is the local government chairmen that is owing local government retirees, but emphasized that the chairmen indicated interest to start paying them instalmentally. 

According to him: “Having known that the public are being misinformed by the opposition elements in the state on situational reality, it therefore, becomes imperative that I announce it to you that the  governor, Francis Nwifuru is not owing pensions and gratuities to the local government retirees as the governor is not in control of the local government funds. 

“And having presented the total amount to be paid to the local government retirees from 1996 to 2023 amounting to over N9 billion, the council chairmen said that the money was humongous, they gave reports from whistle blowers that their was corruption in salaries management of the local government workers, stressing that people had been retiring but salaries kept increasing. 

“It is in the light of above that the local government chairmen agreed on table payment method which would pave way for physical verification as it’s going on currently, the reason the local government workers are being owed.

“With this, ghost workers will be fished out and money saved. The current local government chairmen inherited the debt of pensions and gratuities from the previous administrations.

“My office and the local government chairmen have agreed that the pensions and gratuities will be paid in phases, beginning from those who retired between June 2023 and December 2024. Hopefully, the payment will commence within the first quarter of next year” he added.