Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has directed the commencement of payment of outstanding gratuity to retired civil servants for the period 2012 to 2016.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Auwal Jatau, made the announcement during a symbolic handover of the cheque on Wednesday.
He said the exercise would begin with the first batch of beneficiaries, with subsequent payments continuing until all eligible retirees receive their entitlements.
Mohammed stated that the state government has committed N10 billion towards clearing the accumulated gratuity obligations. Validated historical records put the total outstanding liabilities for the period at N11.71 billion, covering both state and local government retirees.
The state component involves 3,570 beneficiaries with obligations of N6.13 billion, while the local government component covers 2,262 beneficiaries with outstanding obligations of N5.58 billion.
The governor explained that payments would be implemented progressively, based on the chronology of outstanding obligations, completeness of supporting records, validation and reconciliation processes, and the resources approved for each phase.
“No eligible pensioner should interpret this first phase as an exclusion. We are beginning from defined historical brackets so that government can process systematically and transparently. We are starting here, but we are not stopping here. The validated historical records before government cover the accumulated obligations,” he said.
Mohammed noted that many retired workers had waited more than a decade for their gratuity, describing the backlog as one of the most challenging issues inherited by his administration.
He added: “Today, we say to you, your wait is finally coming to an end. Acknowledging the plight of our senior citizens, when we talk about monthly living, there should be dignity. It is a systemic injustice when, after finishing years of service, you are unable to receive your hard-earned entitlement.
"Sadly, we have lost some of our colleagues along the way without them tasting the fruit of their labour.”
The governor said the government recognises the contributions of retirees who spent decades building the state’s infrastructure, schools, healthcare system and administrative machinery.
He noted that the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Scheme had been established to strengthen the management of pension-related matters, including data validation, verification and reconciliation.
Mohammed directed the relevant committee and officials to ensure transparency, speed and fairness in the disbursement, with no bureaucratic bottlenecks, and that senior citizens should be given priority and treated with dignity.
He urged beneficiaries to provide the necessary documentation, cooperate with the verification process and use the payments prudently to support themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Sulaiman, said the legislature unanimously approved the release of funds for the payment of the outstanding gratuity.
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