Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has launched the disbursement of another tranche of backlog gratuity payments to retired local government workers across the state, reaffirming his administration’s dedication to clearing all outstanding entitlements owed to retirees.
The flag-off ceremony, held at the Gombe Government House, marked another milestone in the governor’s sustained effort to improve the welfare of retired civil servants. Yahaya revealed that his administration has paid a total of ₦25.626 billion in gratuities since taking office in 2019.
“Through disciplined financial management and an unwavering commitment to civil servants, both active and retired, we’ve disbursed ₦23.566 billion over the past six years. With today’s payment of ₦2.06 billion, we’ve now cleared a historic ₦25.626 billion in gratuity obligations,” the governor said.
Yahaya recalled that his administration inherited a ₦21 billion backlog in gratuities from the previous government, a burden that had crippled local governments and delayed salary payments between 2013 and 2019. He pledged to achieve zero gratuity liability by 2027 through sustained quarterly payments and prudent fiscal planning.
The latest round of disbursement will follow an equitable payment model based on each local government’s financial capacity. The breakdown includes:
- Kwami, Nafada, Funakaye: 2023 retirees
- Akko, Billiri, Shongom: 2016–2017 retirees
- Dukku: 2016 retirees
- Balanga: 2015–2016 retirees
- Gombe, Kaltungo: 2014–2015 retirees
- Yamaltu Deba: 2015 retirees
The State Auditor-General and Chairman of the Committee on Gratuity Payments, Muhammad Buba Gombe, praised the governor for fulfilling promises ignored by previous administrations and urged retirees to make wise use of their payments.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Malam Umar Abdu Maude described the initiative as a “life-saving gesture,” noting that many retirees had previously died in poverty due to unpaid entitlements.
“If past governments had shown this level of commitment, the current administration could have focused more on development,” Maude said. “But thanks to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, many of us are now able to meet our basic needs and health demands.”
The event concluded with the symbolic presentation of cheques to selected retirees, including some who had retired as far back as 2014.
