Kano pays pensioners benefits, gratuities, to settle additional retirees
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Government has settled the retirement gratuities and death benefits of a total of 5,333 pensioners in the state.
Speaking at the flag-off of the 2nd Phase of the payment in the state, the state Governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf explained that those already paid were 1,291 state pensioners whose gratuities were between N1m- N2.5m and a total of 1440 local Government pensioners whose gratuities were between N1m – N1.3m.
Yusuf added that 988 families/heirs of deceased civil servants in the state had also received the death gratuities and benefits of their bereaved relatives.
He said they comprised 355 families/heirs of civil servants whose death gratuities were between N1m – N3.5m as well as 633 families/heirs of deceased local government staff whose death gratuities were between 1m-3m only.
The Governor revealed that the balance of N1b from the N6b of the Phase 1 of the payment has been set aside to settle a total of 1216 state and local government pensioners whose screenings were recently concluded.
Yusuf noted that an additional N5b has been earmarked to upset the pension liabilities of 4000 pensioners during the 2nd Phase of the payment in the state .
He recalled that he inherited a pension system that was deliberately broken, chaotic and confused and an unpaid pension liability of N43b which the past administration refused to settle.
“Pensioners were not being paid their entitlements, the few ones that were lucky to be paid had to surrender a substantial percentage of their benefits before they get paid the balance of their benefits” he claimed.
He also alleged that the system was largely corrupt, adding that the monthly payments were marred with irregularities and illegal deductions.
He added, however, that upon assumption of office, he stopped the irregularities and deductions that were being made on the monthly pension payments and from the emoluments of civil servants.
He vowed to continue to pay the gratuities and pensions of the retired and deceased civil servants while at the same time settle the huge backlog of unpaid pensions by the last administration.
