By Emmanuel Oluwakorede
The Kogi State Government has expressed its readiness to clear the backlog of gratuities owed to pensioners in the state.
The Director-General of the Governance Delivery Unit, Dr Olusiji Aina, gave the assurance on Monday while featuring on State of Kogi, a Radio Kogi audience-participatory programme.
Aina said the present administration was putting mechanisms in place to permanently resolve the lingering issue, which has remained a major concern for senior citizens despite efforts by successive administrations.
He said the government’s digital governance platform, OneGov, would provide real-time data on the state of affairs across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including issues affecting pensioners and other government obligations.
According to him, the platform will enable the government to identify loopholes and challenges responsible for delays, track implementation and provide the necessary information for appropriate action.
On employment generation, the DG said the planned transformation of the state’s transportation system was expected to create close to 50,000 direct jobs, with additional indirect employment opportunities.
He urged citizens to remain alert to available opportunities through official channels.
Aina also disclosed that the 32-year Kogi State Development Plan was being transformed from a long-term document into a live and trackable delivery framework.
He said the plan had been broken down into pillars, goals, strategies, projects, programmes, budgets, timelines and Key Performance Indicators, with responsibilities assigned to relevant MDAs.
The DG called on civil servants in the state to embrace innovation and digital transformation, adding that the Governance Delivery Unit had commenced equipping workers with technological tools, including laptops and iPads, to improve productivity.
He assured workers of the government’s determination to transform the civil service and urged them to remain open to change and keep faith with the administration of Governor Ahmed Ododo.
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