FG Assures Full Payment of Entitlements to Disengaged Workers

The federal government has assured full payment of entitlements to workers disengaged in the last 20 years.

Dasuki Arabi, director-general, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), stated this in Gombe on Tuesday, during the ongoing verification for North-East former workers and beneficiaries, who were either underpaid or did not receive their full allowances and entitlements.

He said that no disengaged staff who did not receive their full entitlements would be left unpaid.

Mr Arabi said the exercise aimed at identifying all genuine claims to ensure that those entitled to payment receive what was due to them.

“This is the final verification exercise; we want to bring this matter to an end, and ensure that everyone who works and is entitled to payment receives his or her full entitlement,” he said.

Mr Arabi said President Bola Tinubu approved the final verification exercise to settle the remaining claims and complaints.

He said that the BPSR was working with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Auditor-General for the Federation, and anti-corruption agencies to verify the records and ensure that only genuine beneficiaries were paid.

The BPSR helmsman said that more than 99 per cent of the cases brought against the government over the unpaid entitlements had been resolved.

Mr Arabi said some claims were being pursued, including beneficiaries who died; in such cases, their relatives or legal heirs were seeking to recover the money owed to them.

He urged those concerned, who had not been paid or underpaid, to come forward and submit their complaints for verification.

The DG said some former workers were also seeking a pension review, claiming that their retirement benefits did not properly reflect their years of service and the salaries they earned.

Yusuf Adamu, chairman of retirees at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, said some of the affected workers served for about 22 years.

He said they worked under different salary structures before moving to the new structure, adding that while some outstanding payments were made, their pension issues were not properly resolved.

Mr Adamu said some workers were earning between N200,000 and N300,000 before retirement, but their current pensions did not properly reflect their final salary grades.

He urged the government to review their cases to ensure that their pensions were calculated based on their years of service and the salary structure under which they retired.

(NAN)