Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, on Friday inaugurated a six-member committee to verify and pay pension to genuine Local Government retirees, beginning from 1996, when the state was created, till date.

In a speech at the inauguration in Abakaliki, Mr Nwifuru urged the committee, headed by the wife of a former deputy governor, Catherine Ogbu, to ensure a seamless process.

He also charged the committee to be transparent in discharging their duties.   

He said, “I have confidence in the calibre of persons selected to do this assignment. I want everybody who served the state at the LGA level to get their full entitlements. We are embarking on this not because we have enough but as I told the LG chairmen, pension payment is as important as physical projects.’’ 

The governor further directed the committee to ensure that the retirees were paid the same day they were verified and confirmed.

 He stated, “You should use available documents as a guide and ensure that every retiree receives an alert immediately when they are verified. I thank the LG chairmen for attaching importance to the exercise.’’

Responding, the chairperson of the committee thanked the governor for finding them worthy for the task and pledged that they would execute the assignment as mandated.

(NAN)