Gombe pays N10.32bn gratuity backlog to 6,665 retirees
By Elizabeth Ogunjobi
The Gombe government has begun payment of N10.32 billion gratuity to state and local government retirees in the state.
Gov. Inuwa Yahaya said this during the inauguration of the disbursement exercise on Thursday in Gombe.
Yahaya said that N6.24 billion gratuities would be paid to state workers who retired between 2024 and 2025.
He said that N4.08 billion was approved to support local councils in offsetting their backlogs, bringing the total released to N10.32 billion.
The governor said that the beneficiaries comprised 2,354 retirees from the state government, and 4,311 retirees from the local government councils.
“This remarkable sum will bring relief and joy to 6,665 retirees across the state.
“It is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the welfare of our retirees, who laid the foundation upon which we are building Gombe State today,” he said.
Yahaya said that his administration had paid N44.13 billion cumulative gratuities since 2019.
He described the payment of gratuities as historic, stressing that no administration has demonstrated a comparable commitment to the welfare of the retirees.
The governor said that his administration was systematically ending the culture of unpaid gratuities and entitlements.
“With the payments, all state government gratuity obligations up to December 2025 had been settled.
“Gratuities have, of course, continued to accrue since January 2026, and I give my commitment to all retirees that the gratuity for 2026 will be paid early in 2027,” he said.
Yahaya said that his administration was working on a sustainable mechanism for meeting pension and gratuity obligations beyond its tenure.
The obligations, he said, could either be met through a contributory pension arrangement, direct deductions from consolidated revenue fund or any other available options.
“Our objective is simple: gratuity obligations must never again be allowed to accumulate and become an unbearable burden to the state and our retirees,” he said.
Yahaya said that his administration has completely cleared N120 billion inherited gratuity backlogs since 2019.
He said that the feat heralded the state into a strong position to recruit new workers in a sustainable and strategic manner, in alignment with the real needs of public service and the economy.
While acknowledging the retirees’ patience, resilience and sacrifices, Yahaya pledged his administration’s commitment to ensure that no such backlog ever burdens future generations of workers.
Mr Muhammad Hassan, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, and his Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) counterpart, Aish Bello, commended the governor for the gesture.
