Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has vowed to clear all outstanding pension and gratuity arrears before the end of his first term in office.
The governor made the pledge on Wednesday at the Government House during the disbursement of the fifth tranche of N5 billion for pension and death benefits, covering entitlements from 2017 for 1,026 retirees.
Yusuf said his administration inherited a backlog of N48 billion and has so far settled N27 billion, describing the payments as part of efforts to restore dignity to senior citizens who had endured years of hardship.
“As part of our commitment to end the sufferings retirees have been facing for years, we are determined to settle all outstanding gratuities before the end of this tenure, by the grace of God,” he said.
The governor also unveiled a youth empowerment scheme to provide 4,000 beneficiaries with N150,000 each as start-up capital for small businesses, a measure he described as key to his government’s economic recovery plan.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Godwin Abumisi, praised Yusuf as “a star performer,” declaring that pensioners nationwide would back his re-election in 2027.
“There are three categories of governors: the star performers who build infrastructure and pay pensions; the average ones who leave behind debts; and the ordinary ones who worsen the state. Governor Yusuf belongs to the first category,” Abumisi said.
Also, former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba, commended the governor, stressing that prompt pension payments have a ripple effect on the state’s economy.
Leadership reports that the latest payout follows earlier disbursements of N6 billion, N5 billion, N5 billion, and N6 billion to retirees in the state.
