The governor of the state of Adamawa, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has inaugurated a new pension committee responsible for guaranteeing equity, transparency and timely settlement of arrears owed to public officials withdrawn in the State.
The Secretary of the State Government (SSG), Auwal Tukur, made the inauguration on Monday at the State Secretariat complex in Yola in the name of the governor.
Tukur said the administration is still committed to relieving the financial burden of retirees who have faced delays to receive their rights.
As part of the renewed effort, Fintiri approved ₦ 8 billion for the payment of pension liabilities. Of this, ₦ 5 billion are assigned to state pensioners and ₦ 3 billion to local government retirees in the 21st LGA. He pointed out that payments would follow a “first retired, for the first time” system to avoid favoritism.
The SSG praised the work of the previous committee and expressed its confidence in the new team chaired by engineer Benson Jelani.
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“The selection of the committee members was based on their competence and the proven records,” said Tukur. “We trust that, under Jelani’s leadership, this committee will serve with diligence and integrity.”
In his comments, Jelani thanked the governor for the trust put in the committee and promised to carry out his duties with justice and responsibility.
“We assure your excellence and the good people of Adamawa that we will execute our duties without fear or favor,” he said.
The reconstitution of the committee occurs as the calls for pension reform grow throughout the country, with many states still loaded by large liabilities of pending pensions.
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