Bauchi State Govt disburses ₦5.2bn in gratuities, begins 2015 retirees’ payments Monday
By Muslim Lawal
The Bauchi State Government says it has disbursed ₦5.2 billion in gratuities to state and local government retirees, as payment to those who retired in 2015 is scheduled to commence on Monday.
The Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Contributory Pension Commission, Ibrahim Inuwa, disclosed this during a press briefing on the progress of the exercise, which began about three weeks ago.
Ibrahim Inuwa said local government retirees had received ₦3.1 billion, while their counterparts in the state civil service had been paid ₦2.1 billion.
He added that, the total disbursement was expected to increase as the exercise continued.
He urged retirees who left service in 2015 to obtain relevant information and guidance from pension desk officers in their respective local government areas ahead of the commencement of payment.
Meanwhile, a member of the committee overseeing the exercise, Kabir Sizwe, said the process had been progressing smoothly despite some challenges, including difficulties in locating the files of a few retirees.
He explained that the relevant executive secretaries were working to trace the missing files to ensure that the affected beneficiaries could be attended to.
Another committee member, Kola Oyerinde, appealed to retirees who missed previous payment exercises covering 2012, 2013 and 2014 to come forward for verification and processing of their benefits.
Oyerinde disclosed that, out of 583 state retirees expected for the 2014 exercise, 442 participated, while 670 of the 769 local government retirees expected for the exercise turned up.
The committee assured eligible retirees that funds allocated for their benefits remained available, urging those who had yet to receive payment to complete the necessary verification and documentation procedures.
According to the committee, the 2015 payment exercise is expected to last seven days, with a possible extension if necessary, before preparations begin for the disbursement of gratuities to retirees who left service in 2016.
