By Onwa Ekor
Cross River Accountant General, Dr. Glory Effiong, says the administration of Prince Bassey Otu in the state, is embarking on a process where retirees will get their gratuities a month after retirement.
Effiong stated this at the maiden graduation ceremony of 1500 Entrepreneurs, held at the Calabar International Convention center, recently.
According to her, the development is to assuage the pains of retirees who laboured for 35 years, offering their all in the civil service.
Effiong who disclosed that the present administration in the state, saddened by the excruciating pain which men and women face to access their entitlement after many years of labour, decided to step in and correct the anomaly, in order to give elder statesmen a sense of belonging.
Also commenting, the Vice Chairman, State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, maintained that Otu is building a Cross River where civil servants will no longer be afraid of retirement, but will be looking towards retirement.
According to Duke, “The Cross River we are building is a state which will be moderated by good governance where people will live in harmony with nature, doing legitimate businesses and growing from strength to strength.”
He added that, “11 people have actually received their gratuities posthumously, they have died but we paid to their families, more than 3000 are being processed right now, we are going to clear everything, so in the next six to seven years, if you retire you get your money automatically.”
He further encouraged the graduands to “keep developing yourselves beyond this training, enroll in other initiatives, enroll in other training because retirement is not a death sentence.”
Duke also used the occasion to applaud the initiative of the MEDA DG, Great Ogban, which he remarked, has transformed the mindset of the people of the State.
The event featured goodwill messages, testimonial speeches by graduands, drama and cultural display by REDI graduands as well as presentation of awards and certificates.
