Bauchi Releases ₦10bn to Begin Paying Gratuity Backlog Owed to 5,736 Retirees

Follow

( 0 Followers )

X

Follow

E-mail : *

Follow Unfollow

The Bauchi State Government has commenced the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to retired civil servants, releasing an initial ₦10 billion towards a verified backlog of ₦11.704 billion covering retirees from 2012 to 2016.

The exercise was officially flagged off on Wednesday at the sub-treasury in Bauchi by Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau, who represented Governor Bala Mohammed at the ceremony.

According to validated government records, 5,736 retirees are affected by the outstanding gratuity obligations. The figure comprises 3,570 former state government workers owed about ₦6.13 billion and 2,256 local government retirees owed approximately ₦5.58 billion.

The ₦10 billion approved for the exercise does not completely settle the ₦11.704 billion liability. The government said payments would be made in batches based on factors including the age of the outstanding debt, availability of funds, completeness of documentation and successful verification.

The first phase is expected to cover local government retirees from 2012 and 2013, alongside state civil service retirees from 2013. Reports put the opening batch at about 1,700 pensioners.

Governor Mohammed, represented by his deputy, said the government recognised the prolonged wait faced by many retirees and assured beneficiaries that those not included in the first phase would not be excluded from subsequent payments.

The governor said the payment was part of the administration’s effort to address outstanding obligations to former workers who had spent their working years in the service of the state.

The verification and payment process is being coordinated by a committee led by former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sabiu Baba, in collaboration with the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission. The commission is responsible for validating and reconciling pensioners’ records before payments are made.

The government has stressed that the current exercise covers the verified gratuity backlog for the 2012–2016 period. Retirees outside the initial phase are expected to be considered in subsequent batches as the payment programme progresses.

The flag-off has been welcomed by pensioners and organised labour representatives, who urged the state government to maintain the payment schedule until the outstanding obligations are cleared.

The development provides relief for retirees who have waited years for their terminal benefits, but the initial ₦10 billion release leaves part of the verified ₦11.704 billion liability outstanding.

The Bauchi State Government has indicated that payments will continue in phases, with the aim of reaching all eligible beneficiaries covered by the verified backlog.