Bauchi Flags Off Payment of Gratuity Arrears, Releases N10bn

Bauchi State Government kicked off the payment of overdue gratuity benefits to over 1,000 retired civil servants on Wednesday. Governor Bala Abdukadir Mohammed handed over a cheque, directing the commencement of payouts for retired civil servants who worked for the state between 2012 and 2016.

The administration committed N10 billion to cover the backlog, which included 3,570 state government retirees and 2,256 local government retirees. According to the governor, the exercise would continue until all eligible retirees received their entitlements.

The Verification and Disbursement Committee, under the leadership of Alhaji Sabiyu Baba, would oversee the payment process. The government aimed to address the long-standing issue of pensioners waiting for years to receive their due benefits.

Organised labour representative Ibrahim Maikudi praised the government for prioritizing workers' welfare, noting Bauchi was the first state in the North to implement the N32,000 minimum pension. Local government chairmen also expressed support for the developmental programmes of the state government.