By Shuaibu Sani Bagwai
The Board of Directors of the Kano state Local
Government Staff Pension Board, was officially inaugurated by the
commissioner for local government and community development, Alhaji
Abdullahi Sani Rogo last week.
In his inaugural speech, the commissioner noted
that the principal objectives of the present administration in human
development entails ensuring improved quality of the lives of the citizenry.
According to him, in line with this, the
government has special interest with regard to sanitizing the management of
pensions in the state, especially when one remembers what happening prior to
the coming of this administration.
Alhaji Rogo disclosed that as part of the
sanitization exercise, this administration has embarked on the payment of
backlog of pension arrears from 1979 to 2003.
He explained that this has brought the need to
cushion the effect of retirement by giving respective retirees the
opportunity to resettle themselves and lead a decent life, as well as ensure
that families of deceased civil servants are provided with the opportunity
of continuing with life despite the loss of their bread winners.
The commissioner enumerated the achievements of
the pension board since the inception of the present administration, which
include payment of about N249 million as entitlements to about 1,581
pensioners after screening.
He further pointed out that government in its
effort to steer the local government pension board in proper direction, has
considered it necessary to improve contributions of state and local
government monthly remittances which has enabled the board to settle all
monthly pension allowances promptly.
In his response, the chairman of the Board
Alhaji Salihi Ahmad Bichi, expressed gratitude to Allah for giving Kano
state a God fearing governor who is concerned with the plight of the weak
and the less- privileged in the society.
He assured that with the support of the staff,
they will make the board an institution to reckone with not only in Kano
state but in the whole federation.
Others who spoke during the occasion were the
permanent secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abdulmlik Yakubu and the
Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Habibu Sulaiman Zakarai.
The 10-member board include Alhaji Salihi Ahmad
Bichi, chairman, Alhaji Aminu Sulaiman, Alhaji Baffa Aliyu, Alhaji Dauda
Musa Imawa, Alhaji Uba Haladu and Alhaji Badamasi as members.
The rest are representatives of the ministry for local
government office of the Head of Service, finance ministry and Nigeria Union
of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
