Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has directed the release of N3.8 billion to the Kaduna State Pension Bureau to settle gratuities, death benefits, and accrued rights under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Ibraheem Musa and released to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday.
According to the statement, the decision to release the money was made on compassionate grounds, following appeals from pensioners and families of deceased civil servants who complained that the ongoing verification exercise had impacted negatively on their living conditions.
“We are committed to the welfare of our pensioners, who have devoted their lives to the service of Kaduna State. We must give them all the needed support to make them happy in retirement”, the Governor said.
According to the governor, the verification exercise aims to eliminate “ghost” pensioners from the payroll, ensuring seamless and uninterrupted payment of monthly pensions.
“The verification exercise is aimed at weeding out ‘ghost’ pensioners from the payroll in order to curtail the frittering away of the State’s meagre resources
“However, we are also mindful of the plight of our genuine pensioners, which is why we have ordered the immediate payment of their gratuities, death benefits, and accrued rights”, the Governor added.
Our correspondent reports that since taking office in May 2023, Governor Sani has paid a total of N6.6 billion in gratuities, death benefits, and accrued rights, demonstrating his administration’s dedication to supporting pensioners.
“We are committed to the welfare of our pensioners, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that they receive their entitlements without any hassle”, the Governor said.
