The Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has announced that his administration has earmarked N6 billion to settle the gratuity of about 5,500 retired civil servants in the state.
He made this known today while addressing journalists in Kano.
Yusuf said that the payment of the gratuity was part of his promise to clear the backlog of unpaid entitlements left by the previous administration, which amounted to over N40 billion.
He said he was determined to clear the debt within two years in office.
He explained that the beneficiaries of the gratuity would be those who retired from lower grade levels and whose entitlements did not exceed N1 million or slightly above. He said that the list of beneficiaries had been compiled and that the payment would commence next week.
He added that the money for the gratuity was not borrowed from any source but was generated from the state’s revenue.
He expressed his concern for the welfare of the retired civil servants who served their state diligently but were denied their rights by the former government.
He said, “I always sleep and wake up with the issue of gratuities of retired civil servants in my mind. I always think on how to settle and clear this backlog. I frequently summon meetings with Accountant General, Chairman Pension Trust fund and others to assist me on the way forward.”
He also reiterated his commitment to serve the people of Kano and urged them to support his administration for the development of the state. He said: “We are in the system to bring about positive change through good democratic governance that would meet the expectations of our people irrespective of political party affiliations.”