By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has approved over 7.3 billion Naira for the palliatives and empowerment of indigent citizens of the state.
Part of the fund would be used for the
payment of arrears of gratuity to the state's retired civil servants.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Engr Jude Okpor made this known during a press briefing yesterday in Abakaliki.
According to him, the approval which was announced by Governor Nwifuru during the State's 4th Executive Council meeting in this administration, unveiled that a sum of two billion Naira and three thousand bags of rice were released by the Federal Government of Nigeria for palliatives.
Okpor said, the State Executive Council also directed the Commissioner for Skill Development and Job Creation and his counterpart in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Business Development to visit major cities in the country to bring back young Ebonyians indulging in street hawking and other menial jobs for training in skills and businesses of their choice.
He added: "To further demonstrate the readiness of the Ebonyi State government to drive the programme to a logical conclusion, the Exco approved an empowerment package of two million naira each for one thousand five hundred young Ebonyians involved in street hawking and other menial jobs both at home and across the major cities after graduation from the training.
"The approval which will cost the state over three billion naira, (N3bn) is to be implemented in three phases of five hundred (500) beneficiaries in each phase.
"Consequently, the State Executive Council approved the sum of two billion naira as initial capital for the implementation of this empowerment programme.
"The training and subsequent empowerment of the first batch of five hundred beneficiaries will commence as soon as all the necessary frameworks are put in place.
"In furtherance of the resolve of the people-oriented and purpose-driven administration of His Excellency, Rt Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to lift the living standard of the majority of Ebonyians through Human Capital development policies, the Ebonyi State Executive Council also approved the payment of arrears of gratuity to retired civil servants from 1996 to 2021 with a cost implementation of over four billion naira (N4.3bn).
"Council also directed that all issues around those who are yet to receive the payment of their pension which is still ongoing should be resolved without further delay.
"This magnanimous gesture of His Excellency aimed at ameliorating the suffering of our senior citizens will unarguably serve as a moral booster to workers who are still in service.
"Exco-members expressed their support for this decision with a standing ovation to His Excellency, the chairman of the council.
"Finally, Exco approved the constitution of three committees to oversee the implementation of the above resolutions."
