The Bauchi State Government has released ₦10 billion for the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to retired civil servants, dismissing reports that only ₦3 billion was approved for the exercise.
The High-Powered Committee on Verification and Payment of Gratuities disclosed this on Sunday during a press briefing at the North-East Chamber, Government House, Bauchi. The committee said the payment exercise would resume on Monday, October 12, 2026, beginning with retirees in the 2014 payment category.
Key Highlights
- ₦10 billion released: Bauchi State Government says the funds will support the payment of outstanding pensioners’ gratuities.
- ₦3 billion claims dismissed: The committee rejected reports that only ₦3 billion was approved for the exercise.
- 2014 beneficiaries next: Payments for retirees captured under the 2012 and 2013 categories have been completed, according to the committee.
- Payments to continue: The government says subsequent categories will be addressed as the exercise progresses.
- Transparency promised: The Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission says payments will be made to verified and eligible beneficiaries.
Bauchi Begins Next Phase of Gratuity Payments
The committee said beneficiaries whose outstanding gratuities fell under the 2012 and 2013 payment categories had received their entitlements.
It added that the next phase would cover retirees listed under the 2014 category, with payments expected to commence on Monday, October 12.
According to the committee, the exercise would subsequently extend to beneficiaries from other years until the outstanding obligations are addressed.
Speaking at the briefing, the Leader of the Payment Exercise for State Pensioners, Mr Kola Oyerinde, and his counterpart for Local Government Pensioners, Mohammed Kabir Sizwe, reaffirmed Governor Bala Mohammed’s commitment to settling the gratuities owed to retired workers.
They said the release of the funds was part of the state government’s efforts to address accumulated retirement benefits at both state and local government levels.
Committee Rejects ₦3bn Claims
The committee also dismissed reports that Governor Bala Mohammed had released only ₦3 billion for the payment exercise.
Its members insisted that the amount approved and released by the Bauchi State Government was ₦10 billion, adding that the funds would support the ongoing payment of outstanding gratuities.
The committee maintained that the release demonstrated the government’s commitment to settling the entitlements of retired civil servants who have waited for years to receive their payments.
Pension Commission Assures Beneficiaries
The Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission, Ibrahim Inuwa, commended the governor for releasing the funds.
Inuwa said the commission was prepared to begin payments to verified beneficiaries in the 2014 category on Monday.
He assured pensioners that the process would be conducted transparently and that only verified and eligible beneficiaries would receive payments.
The executive secretary added that the exercise would continue until all genuine beneficiaries had received their outstanding gratuities.
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Bauchi Government Moves to Clear Outstanding Gratuities
The latest release forms part of the Bauchi State Government’s efforts to address accumulated gratuity obligations owed to former civil servants.
For many retirees, the payment of outstanding gratuities is an important financial matter after years of public service, and states across Nigeria operate their schemes alongside the framework overseen by the National Pension Commission (PenCom). The continuation of the exercise is expected to provide relief to eligible beneficiaries as the government works through the outstanding payment categories.
The committee said the process would proceed in phases, with payments determined by the applicable categories and verification of beneficiaries.
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