The Federal Government has commenced a process to pay long-outstanding severance benefits owed to staff of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) who were disengaged during the 2005 public service reforms, in a move aimed at settling entitlements that have remained unpaid for nearly two decades.
The verification exercise began on Monday in Gombe, where officials of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), alongside representatives of other government agencies, launched a five-day screening of affected former staff and their next of kin from the North-East region. The exercise is a critical step towards the eventual release of the outstanding payments.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Director-General of the BPSR, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, said the Federal Government was determined to resolve the long-standing issue and ensure that all verified beneficiaries receive their entitlements. He explained that the exercise was being conducted in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and other relevant stakeholders.
According to Dr. Arabi, the verification is intended to confirm the identities of former NEPC staff who were disengaged during the 2006/2007 Public Service Reforms and who have yet to receive their full severance benefits.
“We are here to ascertain and verify Federal Government officials who were affected as a result of the 2006/2007 public service reforms, where quite a number of public servants were disengaged,” he said.
He described the prolonged delay in settling the entitlements as unfortunate, noting that many of the affected workers had waited for years without payment. Dr. Arabi added that the Federal Government was committed to correcting the injustice.
“Unfortunately, all these years we have not been able to settle their entitlements, with quite a number of them who have not been paid,” he said.
The BPSR Director-General cited a similar verification exercise conducted for disengaged staff of the Nigerian Immigration Service two years ago as evidence that the current process would yield results.
“Two years ago, we verified the staff of the Nigerian Immigration Service, and we are glad to say that all of them have been paid 100 per cent,” he said. “Now we are here to verify the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and we are hoping that immediately we finish this, all of them will get paid.”
Dr. Arabi also commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting efforts to clear the outstanding severance payments, noting that the issue had lingered unresolved for a considerable period.
He said the successful completion of the verification exercise would pave the way for prompt payment, offering long-awaited relief to the affected former workers and their families.
