Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State

Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba said on Monday in Jalingo that the Paris Club debt relief fund received by the state would be used to settle outstanding pensions and gratuities.

Ishaku, in a speech shortly before signing the Anti-open Grazing Bill into law, said that the amount received would cover the outstanding pensions of local government workers and a substantial part of gratuities of both state and local government workers.

He expressed concern that local government retirees had not been paid their pensions and gratuities since 2013, and promised to address the situation.

The governor announced that he had requested the House of Assembly to approve the re-naming of the state airport after Mr Danbaba Suntai to immortalise the late governor that died last month.

“Suntai did so much for Taraba and we owe him a duty to honour him,” Ishaku said.

He said that the late governor would be given a state burial on Aug. 5.

(NAN)