Almost 500 retired local government workers in Zamfara State, Nigeria, have received their long-awaited gratuity payments. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Malam Garba Ahmad Gusau, revealed this information during a press conference in the state capital, Gusau.
The committee, led by Gusau, oversaw the verification and payment process for the backlog of gratuities. Their efforts resulted in the disbursement of funds to 494 retirees, with a plan in place to extend the payments to over 5,000 additional individuals pending verification by the Ministry.
The initial beneficiaries, constituting the first batch, retired from 2011 to 2013 and have already received their entitlements. The second and third batches, totaling over 900 retirees, are set to receive their payments as soon as the governor allocates the necessary funds.
Despite encountering some challenges such as processing payments for deceased beneficiaries and missing essential documents from some retirees, the committee aims to complete the entire payment exercise within 30 days. In cases where retirees’ required documents were either lost in a fire or misplaced, the committee advised them to obtain clearance letters from the courts.
Gusau emphasized the importance of the retirees using their funds judiciously to support their families and potentially establish small-scale businesses for self-sustainability.
