The Bauchi State Government has commenced the payment of outstanding gratuity owed to retired civil servants, releasing an initial ₦10 billion to begin clearing the backlog.
The exercise, which covers retirees whose benefits have remained unpaid from 2012 to 2016, was officially flagged off on Wednesday during a symbolic cheque presentation ceremony in Bauchi.
Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by his Deputy, Auwal Jatau, said the payment would be made in batches until all verified and eligible beneficiaries receive their entitlements.
According to validated government records, the total outstanding gratuity obligation stands at approximately ₦11.7 billion, involving 5,736 retirees from the state and local government services.
The breakdown shows that ₦6.13 billion is owed to 3,570 state government retirees, while about ₦5.58 billion is owed to 2,256 local government retirees.
The government said the initial ₦10 billion would be disbursed in phases, with priority determined by the age of the outstanding debt, availability of funds, completeness of documentation and successful verification of beneficiaries.
A Verification and Disbursement Committee, led by Alhaji Sabiyu Baba, is overseeing the process in collaboration with the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission.
The first phase is expected to cover local government retirees from 2012 and 2013, alongside state civil service retirees from 2013. Reports indicate that about 1,700 retirees are included in the first batch.
The state government assured retirees who are not included in the first batch that they would not be left out, stressing that subsequent payments would continue according to the approved process.
Governor Mohammed acknowledged that many retirees had waited for more than a decade to receive their gratuities and said the government was committed to ensuring that the payment process was carried out transparently and without unnecessary delays.
Officials also directed relevant agencies and participating banks to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure that elderly and physically challenged retirees receive appropriate consideration during the verification process.
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