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GovernorBala Mohammed vows phased clearance of backlog, orders transparent exercise, zero extortion
By Abdulwahab Muhammad, SSA Communication to the Governor of Bauchi State
For thousands of retired civil servants in Bauchi State who have endured years of waiting for their retirement benefits, relief has finally begun as the State Government commenced the payment of outstanding gratuities with an initial ₦10 billion release.
Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed said the intervention represents a major step towards addressing the long-standing gratuity liabilities affecting retired workers at both the state and local government levels.
The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, spoke at the official flag-off of the verification and disbursement exercise in Bauchi.
According to validated records reported from the exercise, outstanding gratuity liabilities covering the relevant 2012–2016 period stand at approximately ₦11.704 billion, involving thousands of state and local government retirees. The government has released ₦10 billion as the initial tranche towards addressing the obligation.
Governor Mohammed described the occasion as particularly significant to his administration, saying retired workers who devoted the productive years of their lives to building Bauchi State deserve dignity and the benefits of their service.
He noted that his administration inherited gratuity arrears dating back to 2012, describing the accumulated liability as one of the difficult fiscal challenges confronting successive administrations.
The Governor lamented that some retirees had died without receiving their entitlements, while others had waited for more than a decade.
He stressed that pensioners should not be viewed merely as figures in government records but as fathers, mothers, teachers, mentors and public servants who contributed immensely to the development of the state.
The administration, he said, therefore resolved that investment in roads, schools, healthcare facilities and other infrastructure must go hand-in-hand with attention to the welfare of people who served the state.
Under the first phase of the programme, payment is commencing from defined historical brackets, including local government and state government retirees whose gratuities have remained outstanding for years. Subsequent batches are expected to proceed progressively on the basis of the chronology of outstanding obligations, verification of records and availability of approved resources.
Governor Mohammed reassured retirees who may not be captured in the initial batch that the commencement point should not be interpreted as their exclusion.
“We are starting here, but we are not stopping here.”
He said the ₦10 billion allocation represents a major fiscal commitment at a time when the government is simultaneously funding education, healthcare, security, infrastructure and other essential public services.
The Governor also directed officials responsible for the exercise to ensure that the disbursement is conducted with transparency, speed, fairness and empathy.
He specifically warned against bureaucratic bottlenecks, favouritism and extortion, insisting that elderly and physically challenged retirees must be accorded priority and treated with dignity throughout the verification process.
Governor Mohammed said the administration is conscious of the difficult economic circumstances confronting pensioners and their families, stressing that gratuity represents much more than figures in government accounts.
Behind every unpaid entitlement, he noted, is a retiree requiring healthcare, a family requiring support and years of sacrifice awaiting recognition.
He said the exercise consequently sends a broader message that service to Bauchi State matters and that the government remains committed to finding practical solutions to inherited obligations.
The Governor further expressed confidence in the committee handling the verification and disbursement exercise under the leadership of former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Sabi’u Baba, saying the committee was entrusted with ensuring that payments reach genuine beneficiaries through a transparent process.
He urged retirees to cooperate with verification and disbursement officials by presenting the necessary documentation and following established procedures.
Governor Mohammed also commended the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, the Head of the Civil Service, relevant pension officials, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, financial institutions and other stakeholders involved in preparing and implementing the exercise.
He assured pensioners that the ₦10 billion release is an initial intervention and that the administration intends to continue addressing validated outstanding obligations through subsequent phases.
The Governor said the ultimate objective is not merely to pay accumulated liabilities, but also to strengthen pension administration so that future retirees do not experience the prolonged delays suffered by their predecessors.
The commencement of the programme has also received support from the Bauchi State House of Assembly, whose Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y. Suleiman, said the legislature had approved the government’s request for funds to commence the gratuity payment exercise.
For the retirees who have waited for years, the flag-off marks the beginning of a process aimed at converting long-standing government obligations into actual payments.
Governor Mohammed reiterated that the true measure of government lies not only in promises but in fulfilling commitments that directly affect people’s lives.
With the commencement of the ₦10 billion first tranche, the administration says the exercise will proceed progressively through verification, validation and subsequent payment phases.
Published by Alphapressmedia.com
