The Yobe State Government has paid more than N6bn in pension and gratuity benefits to 4,271 local government retirees and next-of-kin of deceased workers.
The state’s Secretary to the Government, Mohammed Goje, disclosed this while receiving members of the Committee on Local Government Staff Pension and Gratuity Payment, who briefed him on the progress of the exercise.
According to the committee, the beneficiaries include living retirees and families of deceased local government employees.
Governor Mai Mala Buni reconstituted the committee in July 2022 and tasked it with verifying retirees and next-of-kin of deceased workers before processing their pension and gratuity claims.
The committee said it had carried out verification, screening and processing of claims, leading to the payment of more than N6bn to the 4,271 beneficiaries.
Goje commended members of the committee for following due process during the verification and payment exercise.
He also praised the governor for prioritising the welfare of retirees and families of deceased local government employees.
The committee said it subjected beneficiaries to screening and verification before processing their claims to ensure that only genuine retirees and legitimate next-of-kin received the payments.
It added that the process also aimed to prevent fraudulent claims.
The committee comprises representatives of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, National Union of Local Government Employees, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Local Government Audit Department, Local Government Service Commission, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Local Government Staff Pension Board.
Goje urged the committee to sustain the verification process and ensure that all genuine beneficiaries receive their entitlements.
He further assured the committee that the state government would continue working to settle outstanding pension and gratuity obligations within available resources and established procedures.
The SSG said the payments were part of the state government’s efforts to meet its obligations to retirees and former local government workers.
Source: Reports from the Yobe State Government’s briefing and contemporaneous Nigerian media reports.
