Gombe Gov Pays N3bn Backlog of Gratuity to 5,000 Retirees

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

For the fourth time in less than four years, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has yet again put smiles on the faces of senior citizens in Gombe State with the commencement of payment of another tranche of over N3 billion as backlog of gratuity to more than 5,000 state and local government retirees. 

With dance steps, broad smiles and songs of appreciation, the retirees received their cheques during the flag off ceremony of the payment held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Monday.

The payments cover retirees from both the employment of the state and the local governments.

In his remarks before presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries, Governor Yahaya maintained that the era of civil servants working and dying without enjoying their gratuities and pensions are over.

“You have laboured in the service of our dear state, you must also enjoy the fruits of your labour,” he declared.

Yahaya said that notwithstanding the gloomy pictures on ground when he came to power, he had consistently kept faith with all the promises he made to the people of the state.

“Our administration inherited a backlog of over N21 billion gratuities for both the state and LGA retirees from the past administration. State pensions obligation was over N14 billion, while LGA was over N7 billion bringing a total of over N21 billion in 2019,” he said.

The governor said that as at today, his administration had paid state pensioners their 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 entitlements, adding that the total payout for state retirees including Monday’s payment stands at N6.6 billion.

“As for the LGA retirees who have not been paid in 11 years, the 11 LGA’s will today begin payment of a total of N1.3 billion. Payment period ranges from one to four years depending on their financial capacities. The LGA’s will continue to reduce their backlogs as their finances improve.

“The state retirees were last paid in 2013, while LGA retirees were last paid in 2011. This means that the last administration only paid two years gratuity to state workers, while the LGA were only paid six months throughout the eight-year tenure of the last administration.

“I believe this fulfils my promise that I will not owe a year of gratuity during my years as governor.  And Insha Allah, I feel fulfilled that I have kept my promise. And that this promise is being fulfilled to retirees who served diligently, loyally and meritoriously is a great joy to my conscience,” he said.

Yahaya said he and his team were firm believers of integrity in governance.

“When we came to power, we promised the ordinary people; the down trodden that we will make life easier and better for them. We said we will provide quality education, good health care delivery system. We must not shy away from taking our responsibilities. The ordinary people are part of us.We must not leave anybody behind. We must work in tandem. We must all work together in collaboration,” he said.

He called for the  cooperation of the citizens for his administration to be able to serve them better, even as he admonished civil servants and politicians to live a life of sacrifice and sincerity.

“When we came in in 2019, we inherited a very sad situation. But today, the remarkable progress we have been able to make is available for all to see,” he said.

The governor also encouraged the local governments to be creative in their respective areas, maintaining that: “The state government has given them free hands to operate. But they must produce good results for the people to benefit.

“Going forward I want to advise that all the local government should go and sit down with NULGE and NLC…and do a review of how they will survive. The public institution must work, the public schools must work the public hospitals must work. 

“The retirees must not be allowed to suffer. When the public institutions work, you pay less and enjoy more. The public system belongs to everybody. The population is increasing by the day, the future looks bleak.

“In Gombe State, all local government are autonomous, but administratively me must monitor. We are operating democracy but if you have local governments who will go and spend all your money how do we explain that? Election is coming, I hope you will keep your eyes open and do the needful.You must work hard and sacrifice.”

Also speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Governor,  Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, who shared his experience as a retired Customs officer, praised Yahaya’s sincerity of purpose in keeping his promises to the senior citizens who have served in the state.

He said that in the last three and a half years, it has been good news for retirees in the state.

In his remarks,  the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo, maintained that all the local government councils in the state now have positive balances in their accounts, which makes it possible for them to pay salaries, pensions, gratuities and other entitlements as at when due as against the ugly trend before the coming of the present administration.

He revealed that before the inception of the administration of Yahaya, local government councils had to take bank loans to pay workers salaries.

The Chairman of Pensions and Gratuity Disbursement Committee, Muhammad Buba Gombe, extolled Yahaya’s virtues, saying: “That apart from being methodical in his admistrative style, the governor is also a conscientious administrator who means well for his people and employs a good follow-up mechanism to ensure that everyone gets what is due to him or her.”

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Yakubu Kala Hinna explained that the retirees were full of appreciation for Yahaya’s faithfulness in payment of their benefits as he promised them, assuring him of their unflinching support and that of their families towards his second term bid.