January 09, (THEWILL) – On Thursday, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State flagged off the third phase of payment of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state with the sum of N5 billion.
The flag-off ceremony, which was held at the Government House, was attended by hundreds of retirees who thronged the venue to witness and receive their payment alerts.
The N5 billion released at the ceremony brought to a total of N16 billion paid to retirees by the State Government, having paid them N5 billion and N6 billion in the first and second tranches respectively.
Launching the payment, Yusuf said 2,000 retirees would benefit from the N5 billion released at the ceremony, adding that all the beneficiaries would receive their alerts today.
He advised any one of them who did not receive the alert to contact the State Commissioner of Finance or the Governor himself.
He described the launch as historic when his administration was continuing with payment of entitlements to the retirees, whom he said had suffered neglect for eight years under the immediate past government.
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of retirees, saying that the latest phase is part of efforts to alleviate their plight as they had devoted decades of service to the state.
“This administration remains committed to addressing the challenges faced by our retirees. We will continue to prioritise their welfare and ensure that all outstanding benefits are fully paid.
“Every retiree will receive their dues in a timely and transparent manner”, he said.
He said the launch is a significant milestone in his administration’s efforts to restore confidence in the state’s pension system and improve the welfare of the state’s retirees.
Earlier, the state’s Head of Civil Service, Abdullahi Musa, commended the governor’s efforts at settling workers’ entitlements which he said had enhanced productivity in the service.
Musa also lauded the government for paying the backlog of gratuities to retirees and increasing retirees’ pension from the minimum of N5,000 to N20,000, which according to him, had improved their welfare.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked the governor for paying them their gratuities which they had waited for several years.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
