Bauchi Flags Off N10bn Gratuity Payment to First Batch of 1,700 Pensioners

From Paul Orude, Bauchi

The Bauchi State Government on Wednesday flagged off the payment of N10 billion in outstanding gratuity to the first batch of 1,700 state and local government pensioners, beginning with retirees from 2012 and 2013.

The exercise is part of Governor Bala Mohammed’s commitment to clearing the backlog of retirement benefits owed former workers of the state, with subsequent batches expected to be paid chronologically according to the years of retirement.

The event was attended by high profilegovernent officials and beneficiaries.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Bauchi, Governor Mohammed, who was represented by his Deputy, Auwal Jatau, said the government was determined to address the long-standing plight of pensioners who had waited for years to receive their entitlements.

Mohammed said the government had validated historical records showing 5,736 beneficiaries with outstanding obligations amounting to ₦11.704 billion for the period between 2012 and 2016.

According to him, 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.

The governor said 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.

“They gave us their best yesterday and so deserve our best today,” he said.

Mohammed said it was unacceptable for workers who had spent their productive years serving the state to retire and continue to suffer because of unpaid gratuities.

He described the payment as a responsibility the government must discharge, noting that many retirees had waited for more than a decade for their entitlements.

“It is with a proper sense of duty that I stand to perform a function close to my heart—to pay outstanding arrears.

“For over two decades, many have waited painfully for the reward of their labour. Your wait has come to an end,” he said.

According to him, the administration inherited a backlog stretching as far back as 2012 amid difficult fiscal circumstances, but decided that investment in infrastructure must be balanced with attention to human welfare.

He said 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.

“I direct that the exercise be conducted with transparency and without bottlenecks. Our senior citizens must not be subjected to humiliation,” he said.

He said the government was conscious of the economic realities confronting pensioners, adding that the funds being released were not merely figures but represented the welfare of families and individuals who had health and other needs to meet.

“These funds are not mere figures. They are stories of families to support and health needs to take care of,” Mohammed said.

The governor assured pensioners that the government would continue to clear the outstanding arrears in phases, urging beneficiaries to present their relevant documents and use the established channels for verification and payment.

He explained that the first batch was being handled chronologically, beginning with local government retirees from 2012 and 2013.

The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman, who attended the ceremony alongside members of the House, described the exercise as a significant and heartwarming development.

Suleiman said the House considered the plight of pensioners important enough to adjust its legislative activities to attend the flag-off ceremony.

He said the Assembly was deeply concerned about the suffering caused by accumulated gratuity arrears and had resolved that the government should take steps to settle the outstanding obligations.

“Gratuity is not a favour; it is a right owed to them,” the Speaker said.

He disclosed that the House had approved the state government’s request for N10 billion to commence the payment of gratuity.

Suleiman commended Governor Mohammed for responding positively to the resolution of the House and demonstrating the political will to address the long-standing problem.

He expressed hope that the payment would bring relief to pensioners and their families, assuring them that the legislature would continue to support measures aimed at improving the living conditions of the people.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Verification and Disbursement Committee for Pensioners’ Gratuity, Alhaji Sabiyu Baba, who was represented by Hassan El-Yaqub, described the occasion as historic.

Baba said the exercise was an opportunity to honour pensioners who had dedicated years of service to the state and to ensure that they received their legitimate entitlements.

The government said the payment would continue in batches, with the sequence determined by the year of retirement, beginning with the 2012 and 2013 batches.