Verified retirees in Kebbi State including those who retired from local government service will immediately benefit from a N3 billion shell out for the payment of their gratuity arrears, a statement from the state finance commissioner Ibrahim Muhammad-Augie, said on Thursday.

Mr. Muhammad-Augie disclosed in the statement released in Birni-Kebbi that governor Badaru Abubakar had approved the payment with immediate effect. 

He said that over N2 billion had been approved for the state government verified retirees, while N1 billion was approved for local government councils and local government education authorities (LGEAs).

“All necessary processes for electronic payment to all categories of the affected beneficiaries, on a very favourable equitable ratio, had already been put into motion.

“From inception of this Government, to date, therefore, a total sum of N20. 052 billion was approved and paid as arrears of gratuities to the state and local government retirees of the state,” the statement read in parts.

The statement added that the state had always met its obligations  to pay both salaries and pensions regularly, without any outstanding arrears from 2015 to date.

It however, warned that the government would not always be available to meet all demands of its teeming population.

“Government cannot, in all sincerity, effectively attend to all the demands on the lean resources available.

“We, therefore, call on all our citizens, particularly those better informed about the circumstances of the world, the sub-national and the federal government, to be rational and selfless in demands they put on governments,” the statement added. 

(NAN).