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HEAD of Service of the Federation Ebele Okeke, says pensioners will get their pensions on monthly basis, just as workers receive their salaries. Speaking in Awka at the weekend at a reception organised by the Anambra State Government in her honour, Okeke said the Federal Government was aware of difficulties that pensioners pass through to receive their entitlements, especially those disengaged from service in 2007.

As a first step, she said, federal pension offices had been opened in all the states of the federation, while arrangements were on to capture the names of genuine pensioners bio-metrically.

Okeke expressed happiness with the honour done her and said that government was pursuing a seven-point agenda, in which, "the main hub is human capital development."

The head of service called on the state government to enlist in the effort.

She said it involved training and re-training of the workforce and strengthening of government institutions for better results from a more productive workforce.

Okeke commended President Umaru Yar'Adua for choosing her to occupy the exalted position of Head of Service of the Federation.

She also expressed appreciation to the crowd of eminent persons at the reception, including former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and his wife, Beatrice.

President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, in an address, lauded the president for the appointment and said it was a pointer of greater things to come.

In a remark, Governor Peter Obi noted that Okeke was the first federal permanent secretary from the South-East in 48 years to be elevated by the government to the position of head of service.

He said that Okeke's appointment underscored the fact that Yar'Adua recognised her as the epitome of accomplishment, and the civil service as the engine room of any government.

Obi said: "civil servants in the state must avail themselves of the benefits of in-service training, workshops, seminars and courses, both inside the state and elsewhere, because we believe in capacity building."

He said the state government inherited 16 months of unpaid pensions.

"It is on record that we have cleared up to 13 months of this unfortunate backlog," the governor said.

The Onitsha Monarch, Igwe Alfred Achebe chaired the event which was attended by dignitaries, including Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi.

Others were the deputy governors of Imo and Ebonyi states, Anambra State Deputy Governor Virgy Etiaba and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Anayo Nebe and his Deputy, Afam Obi.

The Directors-General of FRCN and NTA, Ben Egbuna and Tony Iredia, respectively, and former ministers, Mrs. Chinwe Nora-Obaji and Professor Alphonsus Nwosu, also attended the ceremony.