From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has paid an unscheduled visit to the Musa Usman State Secretariat Maiduguri to personally supervise the physical verification exercise of pensioners whose biometric data were not either verified or captured
Speaking shortly after the exercise Zulum said “Borno State Government will ensure that all genuine pensioners were verified, captured and subsequently paid while those who were found to be ghost pensioners will be flushed out.”
Throughout the day, the governor was in the state Secretariat to ensure all the genuine pensioners were verified and captured by the Biometric Data Committee screening the pensioners
Some of pensioners interviewed expressed confidence that with the presence of the governor at the venue which gave them the hope that the long awaited verification exercise will yield positive result.
It could be recalled that the pensioners had recently made a peaceful demonstration and matched to the Government House in January this year where Governor Zulum promised to find a solution into their plight as soon as possible.
It was also gathered that the state pensioners have been facing lot of challenges with the said Verification exercise which started in the past 8 years.
A retired civil servant who spoke to our Correspondent in anonymity disclosed that his children were dropped out of school due to school fees.
He further lamented that he cannot even pay for his medical bills at the public hospital.
Other pensioners the spoke to newsmen in anonymity urged the governor to check the ongoing biometric date exercise properly and from time to time to ensure transparency and accountability in the whole process
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