Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has cleared N9 billion in gratuities owed to over 6,500 retired state and local government workers, settling arrears that have accumulated since 2011.
In a statement issued in Gusau on Saturday, the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, confirmed that the state had so far paid N4.9 billion to retired state employees and an additional N4.5 billion to retired local government workers.
The governor had earlier approved the commencement of these payments in February, aiming to resolve the backlog of unpaid gratuities.
A special committee was set up to verify and confirm the list of pensioners who had not received their entitlements for years.
The statement revealed that 2,666 out of 3,880 verified retired state workers have received their full gratuities, totalling N4.86 billion. These beneficiaries retired between 2015 and 2024.
In addition, 3,840 retired local government employees and primary school teachers have been paid N4.5 billion out of a total of N5.68 billion owed. These payments cover those who retired between 2011 and 2021.
Overall, the Zamfara State Government has paid N9.35 billion out of a total debt of N13.78 billion, benefiting 6,506 retirees out of 8,684 verified pensioners.
The statement reads:
“In his commitment to reform the Zamfara State Civil Service, in February, Governor Lawal established a committee to verify and authenticate the state pensioners who had not been paid gratuities since 2011.
“So far, 2,666 out of the 3,880 verified pensioners have been paid their total gratuity entitlements, amounting to N4,860,613,699.22, out of the total amount owed by previous administrations. These payments have been made to beneficiaries who retired between 2015 and 2024.
“Additionally, 3,840 out of 4,804 verified retired local government and primary school teachers have so far been paid in nine batches, totalling N4,497,129,582.13.
“The total outstanding local government gratuity arrears were N5,688,230,607.20, of which N4,497,129,582.13 has been paid to date. The beneficiaries of these payments are those who retired between 2011 and 2021.
“In summary, the state has so far paid a combined total of N9,357,743,281.35 in gratuities, out of the cumulative sum of N13,784,179,513.80 owed by the state to a total of 6,506 verified retired beneficiaries out of 8,684 verified retirees.
“The beneficiaries of these payments are those who retired between 2011 and 2024.”