Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has cleared a total of N9,357,743,281.35 in outstanding gratuities owed to state workers since 2011.
The payment process began in February when the Governor authorized the settlement of the long-overdue gratuities. According to a statement from his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, released on Saturday in Gusau, retired state workers have so far received N4,860,613,699.22, disbursed in nine batches.
Additionally, local government employees have been paid N4,497,129,582.13 in gratuities.
“In February, as part of his commitment to overhauling the Zamfara State Civil Service, Governor Lawal formed a committee to verify and authenticate pensioners who had not been paid since 2011,” the statement explained.
“To date, 2,666 out of 3,880 verified pensioners have been fully paid their entitlements, totaling N4,860,613,699.22, covering those who retired between 2015 and 2024.
“Furthermore, 3,840 out of 4,804 verified local government retirees and primary school teachers have also received their payments, amounting to N4,497,129,582.13 in nine separate installments.
“The outstanding gratuities for local government retirees were N5,688,230,607.20, of which N4,497,129,582.13 has been paid. The beneficiaries include retirees from 2011 to 2021.
“In total, the state has paid N9,357,743,281.35 out of a total debt of N13,784,179,513.80, settling gratuities for 6,506 out of 8,684 verified retirees. Payments have been made to those who retired between 2011 and 2024.”
