Ebonyi can’t pay pension of workers it didn’t hire- Nwifuru

The Ebonyi state governor, Francis Nwifuru, Thursday said  his government cannot assume responsibility for the pensions and gratuities of university workers it did not employ.

Nwifuru stated that the university operates under a distinct legal and administrative framework, adding that the law does not impose responsibility on the state government for workers employed by the institution.

He said, “The problem now is who actually is responsible for the payment of the pensions and gratuities of these people, since the government of Ebonyi is not the one employing them. They are not the ones hiring.”

The governor said the state had nevertheless reached an understanding with the university management to accommodate affected workers and seek a solution to their concerns.

“We have gotten to a point that we agreed with the management of the university. We agreed that what we should do is accommodate these people that are already crying,” he said.

Nwifuru also argued that academic staff  are not necessarily bound to remain in one institution throughout their careers, stating that lecturers could move to other institutions in accordance with applicable rules.

He said universities differ in their funding and administrative structures, adding that the government’s responsibility depends largely on whether an institution is directly run by the government.

“If they are being run by the government, it is the responsibility of the government, their staff are staff of that state government. But if they are not being run by the government, then you cannot say that the government should also pay,” Nwifuru said.