By Aminu Ahmed Garko
Minna – The Chief Imam of Minna Central Mosque, Sheik Ibrahim Fari, on Friday advised Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger to use part of the Paris loan Club refunds due to the state to pay retired civil servants their pensions and gratuities.
Fari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that many civil servants who retired in the last five years in the state were yet to receive their entitlements.
He noted that several of the retired public servants concerned had passed on while others had been made to go through untold hardship, including begging.
The chief imam explained that retired civil servants who diligently worked for 35 years deserved better treatment through prompt payment of their entitlements.
“They don’t deserve to be treated like this, after serving their father land putting in their best for the socioeconomic and political growth of our country,” he said
He called for total reform of the pension administration system in the country to pave way for retiring civil servants to ensure prompt payment of their benefits of retirees.
Fari also advised governors to use the Paris club refunds to improve on health care delivery, education and job creation in their respective states.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele to immediately release the second tranche of the loan refunds to states.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that Buhari gave the directive while addressing a meeting of the National Economic Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The president stressed the need for the state governors to use part of the loan refund to settle unpaid salaries and pension arrears of their retired workers.