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Benue pension arrears rise from N400m to N1bn in three years – State Govt

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The Benue State Government has disclosed that its pension arrears have ballooned from N400 million to N1 billion over the past three years, following the discovery of thousands of unrecorded pensioners during a recent data verification exercise.

Despite the growing financial burden, the government has assured both workers and retirees of its continued commitment to offsetting outstanding payments.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Michael Oglegba, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Makurdi.

Oglegba revealed that the current administration inherited heavy debts, including 48 months of unpaid salaries and pensions. “When we assumed office, we found that many pensioners had not been captured in the system for up to three years. Once we included them, the pension backlog rose from N400 million to N1 billion,” he stated.

He added that salary payments were uneven — some workers were owed 12 months, others up to seven. To address this, the government began phased payments. So far in 2024, five months’ worth of arrears have been cleared, with another five months budgeted for settlement in 2025, depending on available funds.

“We’ve paid off salary backlogs at Benue State University (BSU) and several MDAs. For others still owed beyond six or seven months, payments are ongoing,” Oglegba said.

The commissioner clarified that while the backlog is being addressed in stages, the government has never claimed to have cleared all outstanding arrears.

On the revalidation exercise, Oglegba said it yielded substantial savings by exposing ghost workers and reducing the monthly wage bill. These savings were redirected to ease pension liabilities.

He also explained that institutions like BSU and Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) are not categorized as civil service but receive monthly government support to pay their staff.

In a bid to improve welfare, the government has implemented a new minimum wage. Salaries for workers on grade levels 7 to 17 were raised from N18,000 to N75,000, while those on levels 1 to 6 now earn N75,000, up from N30,000.

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Man in shock after lady he lodged with in a hotel in Abuja flees with his car and other valuables

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A Nigerian man is currently in shock after a young lady identified as Precious Chinyere , whom he took to a hotel in the Asokoro area in the FCT for a romantic getaway allegedly fled with his car and other personal belongings on Thursday, February 5,

The distraught man and Precious had visited the hotel and opted for a short time stay. Things took a different in the evening when the man noticed Precious had left the hotel room without notifying him and took along with her some of his personal belongings including phones and laptop and also his car.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the police.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, told LIB that the matter is currently being investigated and that efforts are being made to apprehend the suspect.

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US Reacts As De@th Toll In Kwara Terror Attacks Hits 200

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The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the k!lling of more than 200 civilians in recent attacks on communities in Kwara State.

Recall that terrorists launched de@dly attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday night, k!lling unsuspecting citizens.

It was gathered that the gunmen invaded the villages, opened fire on residents and burned homes.

According to reports, the de@th toll from the unfortunate incident hit 200 on Thursday night.

Reacting, the US Mission Nigeria condemned the k!lling via a post on its official X handle.

The post reads, “The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the de@th toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence.

“We welcome President Tinubu’s order to deploy security forces to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.”

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“I’ll never settle for a barber, yahoo boy or a poor man” — nail tech’s list of men she says she can’t marry sparks reactions online

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A Nigerian nail technician has set social media talking after openly listing the kind of men she says she can never settle for.

In a now-viral post, she stated clearly that she refuses to “settle for less” and went on to mention professions and traits she considers a no-go area.

According to her, she can never settle for a barber, an aza man, a yahoo boy, a mechanic, an actor, a laundry man, a hype man, or a plumber. She also added that she wouldn’t marry a man with a high body count or a poor man.

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