The Presiding Judge, Makurdi Judicial division of the National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Isaac Essien has ordered the Benue State Government, Benue State Local Government Pension Board and 3 others to pay one retiree, Mrs Becky Iorember the sum of N9.9 million for her outstanding gratuity and pension arrears.
The Court held that the Local Government Pension Laws of Benue State guarantees to Mrs Becky Iorember as a retiree, a right to her gratuity and pension upon retirement from the service of the State.
Justice Essien ordered that the sum of N9.9m awarded in favour of Mrs Becky Iorember be paid in instalments, with the first instalment of N2,000,000 to be paid by the end of October 2023 and the sum of N1,000,000 at the end of subsequent months until the liquidation of the judgment debt.
From facts, the claimant- Mrs Becky Iorember had submitted that since her retirement in 2015, the Benue State Government, Benue State Local Government Pension Board and 3 others paid her pensions only from March 2016 to August 2017 (18 months), thereby leaving 36 months in arrears as of February 2020, and 31 months gratuity arrears.
In defence, the defendants- Benue State Government, Benue State Local Government Pension Board and 3 others averred that Mrs Becky has so far received the sum of N 1,750,000 as part payment of her gratuity and that the sum of N5,937,720.00k is still outstanding, the assertion that was admitted by the claimant.
Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Isaac Essien held that the community reading of Local Government Pension Laws of Benue State guarantees Mrs Becky Iorember as a retiree, a right to gratuity and pension upon retirement from the service of any state of the federation.
The Court entered judgment in favour of Mrs Becky in the sum of N935,334.4k being the outstanding gratuity and arrears of pension owed the claimant upon her retirement from the service of the Benue State.