The Rivers State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has commended Governor Nyesom Wike for approving the payment of gratuities and pension arrears.
Wike had on Tuesday, ordered the immediate payment of all outstanding gratuities, monthly pensions and death benefits due to retirees of the state.
The Director-General of the Rivers State Pension Board, Ijeoma Samuel, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt said the payments would be done in batches.
In a chat with journalists, the state NLC chairperson, Beatrice Itubo described the governor’s decision as a welcome development.
She said, “this is what we have been asking for and if Wike has decided to pay pension and gratuity, then it is a welcome development.”
It could be recalled that civil servants in the state on May 1st (Workers Day) wore black clothes in protest of the non-payment of pension and gratuity.
The workers also disliked the 2023 presidential ambition of Wike and expressed comfort when the governor lost the PDP presidential primary to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
