Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Tuesday announced the disbursement of ₦8.2 billion to settle part of the backlog of gratuities owed to state and local government retirees.
Speaking during a cheque presentation ceremony at the Government House in Gombe, the governor said the payment covers 3,204 retirees across the state. He explained that ₦6.6 billion is allocated to 2,142 retirees from the state service, while ₦1.6 billion is earmarked for 1,062 local government retirees.
According to Yahaya, the distribution was structured based on the financial capacity of each tier of government. He added that payments for state retirees cover 2021, 2022 and 2023, while local government beneficiaries are grouped across various years: Funakaye, Kwami and Nafada (2024 retirees); Akko, Billiri and Shongom (2018 retirees); Dukku and Balanga (2017 retirees); and Gombe, Kaltungo and Yamaltu-Deba (2016 retirees).
The governor stated that with the latest disbursement, total gratuity payments under his administration have reached ₦33.826 billion since 2019 — the highest in the state’s history.
“In the entire history of Gombe State, no administration has demonstrated comparable commitment to the welfare of our retirees who have served with dedication,” Yahaya said.
He attributed the feat to prudent financial management and transparency, describing timely payment of entitlements as a “sacred trust”.
Yahaya assured that his administration would continue to prioritise pensioners’ welfare and ensure that no retiree “is left to suffer due to non-payment of their gratuity or any other rightful entitlement.”
