Gombe Governor Sets Up 11-Member Pension Reform Committee

Segun Awofadej

As part of efforts to address the lingering challenge of pension and gratuity payments for retirees in Gombe State, the Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has constituted an 11- member committee to work out modalities for a workable reform of the State Pension Administration System.

According to a press statement by the Information Officer, SSG’s Office, Government House, Gombe, Joshua Danmalam, which was made available to newsmen yesterday, the Committee, headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi would review all issues associated with Contributory Pension Scheme for efficient implementation.

It listed members of the Committee to include the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zubair Umar and his Finance and Information counterparts, Mohammed Gambo Magaji and Meshach Audu Lauco.

Other members are the State Auditor General, Muhammed Buba Gombe; Auditor General for Local Government, Mr. Mahdi M. Aliyu; the state Accountant General, Dr. Aminu Yuguda; Permanent Secretary, Special Services and Political Affairs in the SSG’s office, Muhammed Umar; Director State Pensions Bureau, Abubakar Mohammed Jungudo; Executive Secretary, Local Government Pension Board, Suleiman Mohammed while Usman Malam is to serve as Secretary to the Committee.

The Committee which had its inaugural meeting at the office the Secretary to the State Government yesterday, assured of its commitment to come up with the various pension system for the state within the shortest possible time for Governor Yahaya’s consideration and implementation for the benefits of civil servants at both the state and local governments levels. 

Yahaya’s administration had been battling with the payment of pension and gratuity arrears it inherited from the past administration where billions of naira had been expended in the last three years.