Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has disbursed over four billion Naira in gratuities to retired workers in the state who had been owed since 2011. According to a statement from the spokesman of the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the gratuity payments commenced in February after the authentication and validation of retirees.
The statement disclosed that a total of N4,337,087,492.06 billion has been paid in four installments to state and local government retirees. Governor Lawal initiated a committee in February to validate retiree data and settle the accumulated gratuity debt as part of efforts to streamline the civil service in Zamfara State.
After verifying the data of retired civil servants, it was found that the state and local governments collectively owed N13.4 billion in gratuities. In the first three tranches, 1,088 verified state pensioners received their total gratuity entitlements amounting to N1,836,836,018.95.
In the latest batch, 284 verified state pensioners received gratuity arrears totaling N499,435,942.42, bringing the total state pension payment to N2,336,271,961.37. Additionally, 1,744 retired Local Government and Primary School Teachers who retired between 2011 and 2018 have been paid N2,000,815,530.69 in four batches.
The ongoing gratuity payment signifies a significant achievement and is expected to provide relief to beneficiaries who have long awaited their benefits. Governor Lawal’s administration reaffirms its commitment to fulfilling promises to the people of Zamfara State through such initiatives.