The Ebonyi Government says it has made adequate provision for the payment of arrears of gratuity to state pensioners, who retired between 2015 and 2021.
Gov. Dave Umahi said this on Friday, while addressing stakeholders during the state government’s consultation on the 2022 budget estimate.
Umahi said the arrears of the gratuity and youth employment would be given priority in the budget.
He said: “We have made provision for the payment of gratuity to our retired civil servants and this will start in earnest.
“We have also made provision for the employment of about 3,000 youths into the civil service and 70 per cent of them shall be teachers.
“We have also made provision for very serious empowerment in our budget.
“We are definitely going to pursue industrialisation, empowerment and setting up of businesses for our children in the 2022 budget.”
The governor said that his administration’s empowerment programme had already commenced but would get bigger in 2022.
“I am very much convinced that by the first week of January 2022, the first set of the empowerment tranche as well as the youth employment will be given out.
“We hope to give about 5,000 jobs. 3,000 from the state Civil Service Commission and 2,000 from the Local Government Service Commission,” he said.
Umahi expressed the hope that at least 3,000 people would benefit from the empowerment.
He also said that adequate budgetary provisions had been made for infrastructure development, including the completion of ongoing projects.
He said that his administration would not fail to establish two additional universities.
According to him, they will be sited in Ebonyi Central and North Senatorial Districts.
“The University of Aeronautics Engineering is located in Ezza South, while the University of Science and Information Communication Technology will be located in Izzi, all in Ebonyi central and north.
“The construction of the two universities are budgeted for,” the governor said.
He said the two institutions would commence academic activities next year at a temporary site, called the ‘Silicon Valley’ at the Centenary City. (NAN)