Bauchi owes retirees N27bn as gratuities-NUP chairman

Bauchi state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), said on Thursday that the state government owes retirees N27 billion accumulated gratuities.

State Chairman of the pensioners, Alhaji Habu Gar, said this in an interview in Bauchi while reacting to the release of N100 million by the state government to reduce backlog of the gratuity.

Gar said that though the amount released was paltry considering the magnitude of arrears owed, it is still better compared to the non- release of the funds by previous administrations in the state.

“If the previous administrations embarked on such exercise, we would not have being talking about accumulated gratuities. I therefore, urge my members yet to enjoy the gesture to be patient because gradually, it will reach them.

“I have received over 2, 000 phone calls from my members, some commending the government over the gesture, while some were demanding to know their fate.

“I want to tell them that the exercise commenced with retirees who retired in year 2010 and early 2011. Government has promised that it will be a monthly exercise. Therefore, I am sure that in no distant time, everyone will be paid,” he said.

Gar called on the government to adhere to its promise to enable the retirees, most of who have suffered in the last nine years, enjoy their sweat.

He commended the government for according priority to families of deceased retirees, which according to him, would enable them off-set their rents, school fees and even build houses.

The chairman however advised the state government to take steps at ensuring that the exercise was not marred by fraudulent acts, revealing that in the ongoing payment of gratuities to retirees, a retiree was over-paid by 500 per cent.

The chairman told said that the pensioner was entitled to N200, 000 as balance of payment of his gratuity, but was issued a cheque of N1.2 million.

“On Tuesday, I happened to be at the payment centre of state pension and I discovered that a retiree was issued a cheque of N1.2 million, as against the N200, 000 he is entitled to.

“When the affected retiree went to a bank to cash the cheque, he was paid N1.2 million and being sincere, he quickly retuned N1 million to the government.

“This retiree, I personally paid him N1 million out of his N1.2 million in January, when former Governor Muhammed Abubakar released N2 billion to pay part of the debt,” he said.

Gar said that but for the honesty of the retiree involved, N1million would not have been accounted for after the exercise.

Commenting on the issue, Special Adviser to the governor on Civil Service Matter, Abdon Dall-Gin, said the over-payment of the retiree was not a deliberate act.

Dall-Gin explained that it might be a human error on the part of the committee due to the short time given to it to prepare for the exercise.