Umahi to offsets civil servants pensions, gratuities before ending

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has promised to pay off all inherited pensions and gratuities of civil servants  before the end of 2023.

He also pledged to pay between 100,000 to 500,000 Ebonyians N10,000 monthly for five months under the 2023 budget in the state.

 Governor Umahi disclosed this during the citizens’ input and consultation meeting for 2023 Budget Estimate at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, on Monday.

He emphasised that the welfare of civil servants would enjoy priority attention under the 2023 Budget.

“To the civil servants, we have earmarked a lot of money to pay off all inherited pensions and gratuities before the end of 2023.

“From January 1, we are proposing to pay between 100,000 to 500,000 Ebonyians N10,000 monthly for five months and they shall be called Liason Officers.”

Umahi while speaking on the 2023 Budget Estimate tagged, ‘Budget of Divine Mandate Consolidation and Continuity,’ estimated at N139billion, he further said the priority areas would be health, education, agriculture, infrastructure and human capital development.

The governor, who  clarified that the 2022 Budget of Later Rain has been implemented to 75%, said he was satisfied that government was fast executing the 199 kilometer Abakaliki Ring Road project.

He noted that the road project already executed to 93% would further open up the rural areas to the city.

Umahi also promised to establish the Universities of Aeronautical Engineering in Onueke and the ICT in Oferekpe before his administration winds down in 2023.

Meanwhile, the governor has banned the operations of commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada, after 7pm across the state, as part of efforts to curb resurging crimes in the state.