Zamfara: Gov Lawal settles N9bn gratuities

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has settled N9,357,743,281.35 in gratuity payments owed to Zamfara workers since 2011.

The Governor approved the commencement of these payments earlier in February. In a statement released in Gusau on Saturday, the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the government had disbursed a total of N4,860,613,699.22 to retired state workers in nine batches.

The statement added that an additional N4,497,129,582.13 has been paid to local government workers.

“In his commitment to reform the Zamfara State Civil Service, Governor Lawal established a committee in February to verify and authenticate state pensioners who had not been paid their gratuities since 2011,” the statement read.

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“So far, 2,666 out of 3,880 verified pensioners have received their total gratuity entitlements, amounting to N4,860,613,699.22, which were owed by previous administrations. These payments have been made to beneficiaries who retired between 2015 and 2024.

“On the other hand, 3,840 out of 4,804 verified retired local government and primary school teachers have also been paid, amounting to N4,497,129,582.13 across nine batches.

“The total outstanding gratuity for local government retirees was N5,688,230,607.20, of which N4,497,129,582.13 has been paid to date. The beneficiaries of these payments are those who retired between 2011 and 2021.

“In summary, the state has paid a combined total of N9,357,743,281.35 in gratuities out of a cumulative N13,784,179,513.80 owed to 6,506 verified retired beneficiaries, out of a total of 8,684 verified retirees. The beneficiaries include those who retired between 2011 and 2024.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE