Gombe Governor Pays N5.4bn Gratuity Backlog To State, LGA Retirees

Gombe State Government has begun the payment of over 5.4 billion naira backlog of gratuities to over 4, 000 State and Local Government retirees in the state.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya promised during the flag-off that his administration intends to clear all entitlements owed retired civil servants in due course.

He said with this round of payment, the debt that the state government was now owing retirees in the state had been reduced from the inherited 21 billion naira to 7 billion naira.

Governor Yahaya also restated his administration’s strong commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants and retirees by recognizing their invaluable contributions to the development of the state.

He recalled that one of the key challenges his administration inherited when he assumed office in 2019 was the backlog of over 21 billion naira in gratuity arrears owed to state and local government retirees.

Consequently, Governor Yahaya said it was in pursuit of justice and fairness, that his administration made it a priority to address the issue head-on, thereby clearing over 7 billion naira backlog of gratuities in the past five years.

He said this had provided the much-needed relief and dignity to retirees who dedicated their lives to the service of the state.

“In this round of payment, we are paying the sum of NGN5,440,045,865.73 to both state and local government retirees. The State Government will settle the backlog of 2018 retirees.

“In the case of our local government areas, the payment is implemented based on individual resources, with financially capable local governments able to settle more of such obligations than their less capable counterparts”, the Governor said.

Breakdown of payment 

Breaking down the payment per LGA, Governor Yahaya said Kwami, Funakaye and Nafada Local Government Areas were able to clear all their backlogs, while Akko, Billiri, Dukku and Shongom were to settle the ones for 2014 and 2015 retirees and Balanga and Yamaltu Deba would clear the backlogs of 2013 and 2014 retirees.

He said Kaltungo and Gombe would only clear the 2013 retirees.

The governor said that the approach will go a long way in “entrenching prudence and accountability because it is only fair for each local government to bear its burden“.

He called on civil servants in the state to redouble their efforts and demonstrate commitment to excellence in service delivery, describing their dedication and hard work as integral to the success of the current administration.

The Gombe State Governor warned that his administration would not condone any form of indiscipline or misconduct capable of tarnishing the image of the civil service and the state as a whole.

He, however, commended labour leaders, retiree union leaders, and other stakeholders for their patience, understanding, cooperation and commitment to dialogue during the process of addressing the backlogs and implementing civil service reforms.

‘Friend to retirees’

The state Auditor-General and Chairman of the committee for the payment of outstanding gratuity, Mr Muhammad Buba Gombe, acknowledged the Governor’s efforts in addressing the issue of non-payment of gratuity since his assumption of office in 2019.

He said with the recent approval and the backlog of gratuity cleared, the state government had now approved N12,73 billion naira for the payment of gratuity for both state and local government councils.

Responding on behalf of all the affected retirees, Mr Garba Sama’ila, thanked Governor Yahaya for coming to their rescue at a critical time of economic hardship.

Sama’ila said by the gesture, the governor was not only paying gratuities to retired workers but also extending a saving hand to millions of their family members from the present-day economic realities.

He pledged the support of all retirees to the policies and programmes of the Yahaya-led administration, describing the Governor as a “humanitarian leader and friend of the retirees”.

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh