The Bauchi State Government has initiated the payment of backlog of gratuity arrears to over 1000 retired civil servants in the state. This move is aimed at addressing the long-standing plight of pensioners who had waited for years to receive their entitlements. Governor Bala Abdukadir Mohammed directed the commencement of payment of outstanding gratuity to retired civil servants from 2012 to 2016 in the state.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Rt Hon Auwal Jatau, handed over a cheque to the first batch of beneficiaries. He stated that the state government had committed N10bn towards addressing the accumulated gratuity obligations owed to retirees in the state. The government had validated historical records showing 5,736 beneficiaries with outstanding obligations amounting to N11.704 billion for the period between 2012 and 2016.
The figure comprises 3,570 state government beneficiaries covering 2012 to 2016, with an outstanding obligation of ₦6.133 billion, while 2,256 local government beneficiaries covering 2013 to 2016 are owed ₦5.579 billion. Governor Bala Mohammed emphasized that retirees who had given their productive years to the service of the state deserved to be treated with dignity and receive the reward of their labour.
The governor described the payment as a responsibility the government must discharge, noting that many retirees had waited for more than a decade for their entitlements. He pointed out that it was unacceptable for workers who had spent their productive years serving the state to retire and continue to suffer because of unpaid gratuities. The administration inherited a backlog stretching as far back as 2012 amid difficult fiscal circumstances.
Despite the challenges, the government decided that investment in infrastructure must be balanced with attention to human welfare. To ensure a smooth process, the government had constituted a Verification and Disbursement Committee under the leadership of Alhaji Sabiyu Baba to oversee the verification and payment process. Mohammed described Baba as a person with extensive knowledge of the public service and an unblemished record.
The governor directed that the disbursement exercise be conducted transparently and without unnecessary bottlenecks, stressing that pensioners must not be subjected to humiliation in the process. In his goodwill message, the representative of organised labour, Ibrahim Maikudi, commended the state government for prioritizing workers’ welfare. He noted that Bauchi was among the first states in the country to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for civil servants.
Maikudi further stated that Bauchi was the first state in the North to implement the N32,000 minimum pension for pensioners. He commended the government for another gesture, the flag-off of payment of accrued gratuity which the administration inherited. The payment of gratuity arrears is expected to bring relief to the retired civil servants who have been waiting for years to receive their entitlements.
Key points
- The Bauchi State Government has released N10bn to pay gratuity arrears to over 1000 retired civil servants.
- The government had validated historical records showing 5,736 beneficiaries with outstanding obligations amounting to N11.704 billion for the period between 2012 and 2016.
- The administration directed that the disbursement exercise be conducted transparently and without unnecessary bottlenecks.
