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Ebonyi workers jublilate as Nwifuru clears payment of gratuities from 1996 to 2023
Ebonyi workers jublilates as Nwifuru clears payment of gratuities from 1996 to 2023
By Francesca Hanger
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has successfully cleared the lingering gratuities of Ebonyi workers from 1996 to 2023
Disclosing this in a statement, Engr. Jude Chikadibia Okpor, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Information & State Orientation stated that the last batch of retirees scheduled for payment of gratuities by the Governor Francis Nwifuru led administration have received their payment.
According to the Statement: “As at Thursday 9th May, 2024 the last batch (phase 11) which comprises of spill over retirees between 1996 to 2021 were cleared and paid with a total number of Two Hundred and fifty six retirees receiving their payment in full, bringing the total gratuity amount paid in that category to #394,907,784.91 kobo.
“Also, cleared and paid during the 7-day exercise were retirees between (2022 – 2023), with a total number of Two Hundred and and Seventy Seven (277) Retirees cleared and paid in that category, with a total Gratuity paid, amounting to #1,030,972,870.05.
“It is indisputably correct to say that the Ebonyi State Government under the pragmatic leadership of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, FNIOB, GGCEHF has practically cleared ALL arrears of gratuity owed retirees from the creation of the state to 2023, with a total Gratuity sum of Five Billion, Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Eleven Thousand, One Hundred and Four Naira, Six Kobo (#5,036,211,140.6) paid
.to a total of Two Thousand, and Ninety Nine (2,099) Retirees. “Further breakdown of the total sum and beneficiaries revealed that Governor Nwifuru led administration in the first phase of the exercise paid a total of Three Billion, Six Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty Five Naira, Sixty Four Kobo (3,610,330,485.64) to One Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Six (1,566) Retirees, who patiently awaited their entitlement between (1996 – 2021).
“While a total number of Five Hundred and Thirty Three (533) Retirees were cleared and paid a total Gratuity Amount of One Billion, Four Hundred and Twenty Five Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira, Ninety Six Kobo (#1, 425,880,654.96) in the second phase.
“With this summation, it has become clearer than ever that, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, FNIOB, GGCEHF, the most humane and workers’, friendly Governor of Ebonyi State, does not only make promises but keeps to the last letters of his promise.”
Recall that Governor Nwifuru had before now promised Ebonyi workers that the processing of gratuity of a potential retiree would promptly commence once he/she proceeds on pre- retirement leave.
“We therefore call on Ebonyians to continue to reciprocate His Excellency’s good gestures through prayers and loyalty to his administration as his government girds loins for better gestures in favour of Ebonyi people.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.
Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.
The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.
Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.
Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.
“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.
Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.
In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.
Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.
It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.
The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.
”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said
The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.
IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.
It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.
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