Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has criticized his predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for failing to prioritize the payment of gratuities and death benefits to state retirees during his eight-year tenure.
Governor Yusuf revealed that the negligence of the Ganduje administration left the State Pension Fund Trustees with an outstanding liability of over N48 billion.
Speaking at the launch of the third tranche of N5 billion for settling gratuities and death benefits at the Government House, Yusuf sympathized with pensioners who endured hardship under the previous administration. According to him, many retirees died while waiting for their entitlements.
“The failure of the Ganduje administration to settle pensioners’ entitlements over the past eight years subjected retirees to severe hardship,” Yusuf said. “This is the most significant social security crisis in Kano State since its creation in 1967.”
Yusuf highlighted his administration’s efforts to address the issue, including the disbursement of N16 billion to 6,886 retirees across three tranches. He described the payments as part of his campaign promise to ease the suffering of senior citizens who had dedicated their lives to public service.
“The payment of backlog gratuities is not just an obligation but a moral duty,” Yusuf stated, assuring retirees of a transparent, electronic payment process to avoid irregularities.
He further disclosed that N846 million in death benefits remains unclaimed. He directed the State Head of Service, Sharia Commission, and Pension Fund Trustees to locate the relatives of deceased pensioners for payment.
Providing a breakdown of the payments, Yusuf said his administration initially released N6 billion to 2,667 retirees, followed by N5 billion to 2,216 pensioners, and has now commenced the third tranche of N5 billion for 2,000 beneficiaries.
In addition, Yusuf announced an upward review of the minimum pension award from N5,000 to N20,000 to reflect inflation’s impact on purchasing power.
The President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Titus Audu Amba, praised the state government’s efforts to alleviate pension burdens, urging other governors to emulate Yusuf’s commitment to pensioners’ welfare. He noted that the injection of N16 billion into the economy would positively impact beneficiaries and the state’s macroeconomic system.
