The Yobe State government has paid over N6 billion in pension and gratuity to 4,271 local government retirees and other beneficiaries since 2022.

The secretary to the state government (SSG), Mohammed Goje, stated this when he received members of the state Committee on Local Government Staff Pension and Gratuity Payment in Damaturu on Wednesday.

The committee earlier briefed the SSG on its activities and progress recorded since its reconstitution in 2022 with the mandate of verifying retirees and the next-of-kin of deceased employees to facilitate the payment of their entitlements.

Mr Goje commended Governor Mai Mala Buni for his commitment to the welfare of retirees and the families of deceased local government employees.

He described the payment as an important intervention towards meeting the government’s obligations to people who dedicated their productive years to public service.

The SSG also commended members of the committee for their diligence and commitment to ensuring that the exercise was conducted in accordance with due process.

Mr Goje charged the committee to sustain the transparency and diligence that have characterised the exercise while ensuring that all genuine beneficiaries were identified for payment.

He assured the committee of the state government’s continued commitment to addressing outstanding pension and gratuity obligations within available resources and established procedures.

He said the development reflected the Buni administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and its responsibility to retirees who served the state and local governments.

In his remarks, the committee’s chairman, Goni Gana, said the verification process was carried out with emphasis on transparency, fairness and due diligence.

He explained that the beneficiaries were subjected to the necessary screening and verification before their claims were processed to protect the integrity of the exercise and prevent fraudulent claims.

The committee comprises representatives of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigerian Union of Pensioners, and the Local Government Audit Department, among others.

(NAN)