The Gombe State Government has commenced the payment of N10.32bn in gratuities to 6,665 state and local government retirees.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya disclosed this on Thursday at the official commencement of the sixth tranche of gratuity payments by his administration since 2019.
The governor said N6.24bn was approved for state government retirees covering the years 2024 and 2025, while N4.08bn was released to support local governments in clearing their gratuity backlogs.
He said the payment would benefit 2,354 state government retirees and 4,311 local government retirees across the state.
Yahaya said his administration inherited a N21bn gratuity backlog when it assumed office in 2019, covering local government retirees from 2012 to 2019 and state retirees from 2014 to 2019.
“When we assumed office in 2019, we inherited a gratuity backlog of N21 billion owed to state and local government retirees,” he said.
The governor said the state’s finances and those of the local governments were in a difficult position at the time, noting that the councils had to borrow N1.3bn monthly between 2013 and 2019 to pay salaries.
“From the outset, we recognised that the welfare of retirees is not a privilege but a right, and that every worker who has served faithfully deserves to retire with dignity and financial security,” Yahaya said.
He said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recessions, the Russia-Ukraine war, fuel subsidy removal and naira flotation, his administration had paid N33.283bn in gratuities before Thursday’s disbursement.
“Yet through prudent management of scarce resources, we had paid a total of N33.283 billion in gratuities before today,” he said.
According to him, the latest N10.32bn payment brings the cumulative gratuity payments made by his administration since 2019 to N44.134bn.
“With today’s disbursement, our cumulative gratuity payment since 2019 has reached a historic N44.134 billion,” the governor said.
Yahaya said the payment had settled all state government gratuity obligations up to December 2025, while gratuities accruing from January 2026 would be paid early in 2027.
He added that his administration was working on a sustainable mechanism to prevent future accumulation of gratuity arrears, including a possible contributory pension arrangement or deductions from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“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.
The governor also announced the payment of N299m in gratuities to former staff of the Gombe Investment and Property Development Company following the dissolution of the company and the establishment of the Gombe State Investment Promotion Agency.
He said approval had also been given for the settlement of gratuity backlogs owed former local government chairmen and councillors from the previous administration to date.
Yahaya said his administration had also implemented the new minimum wage for state and local government workers, as well as CONMESS and CONHESS for doctors, nurses and other health professionals.
He said salaries and pensions had been paid promptly throughout his tenure, including during periods of economic recession.
The governor said the administration’s decision to delay large-scale recruitment was partly due to the need to clear inherited gratuity obligations and an already overstaffed public service.
“The moral burden of clearing billions in gratuity arrears, together with an inherited service that was already overstaffed, compelled us to delay large-scale recruitment,” he said.
He, however, said the state had employed 1,000 teachers, more than 440 health workers and hundreds of other workers to meet the needs of various ministries, departments and agencies established by his administration.
“With the inherited backlog now cleared, Gombe State is in a stronger position to recruit new workers in a sustainable and strategic manner, aligned with the real needs of our public service and economy,” Yahaya said.
The governor appealed to retirees, civil servants and organised labour to reciprocate the government’s support through renewed commitment to the development of the state.
He said, “We expect a renewed commitment and support from our retirees, civil servants and trade union groups in order to repay the support extended to them by our administration.”
Earlier, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammadu Magaji, described the commencement of the payment as a new chapter in the administration of pensions and gratuities in the state.
Magaji said the retirees had contributed significantly to the development of Gombe State through their years of service.
“You have taught our children, you treated the sick, you administered our institutions, maintained infrastructure and kept the machinery of government functioning,” he said.
He described the payment as “not a favour, but a fulfilment of the obligation of government,” saying it demonstrated the governor’s commitment to responsible governance.
“The payment being commenced today therefore is not a favour, but a fulfilment of obligation of government which is being upheld strongly by His Excellency, our dear Governor,” Magaji said.
The commissioner said the payment represented “a restoration of hope, a fulfilment of an obligation, and a demonstration that responsible governance can make a tangible difference in the lives of our people.”
He commended the governor for what he described as efforts to strengthen the state’s fiscal management, improve internally generated revenue, enhance budget credibility and promote transparency and accountability.
Magaji also cited Gombe’s participation in fiscal and governance reform programmes, including SIFTAS, SABER and HOPE, as evidence of the administration’s efforts to strengthen public financial management and institutional reforms.
He said, “Permit me, on behalf of the government and people of the state, to sincerely acknowledge and appreciate Your Excellency for this effort towards our pensioners and retirees.”
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to appreciate the government’s commitment to settling the inherited obligations and prayed for continued wisdom and strength for the governor.
