Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has released ₦8.2 billion to settle part of the long-standing gratuity arrears owed to retirees in the state and local governments.
Speaking during a presentation ceremony at the Government House, Yahaya said the payment would benefit 3,204 retirees — a move he described as part of his government’s effort to restore dignity to senior citizens who served the state.
“This disbursement shows our commitment to ensuring every retiree gets what they worked for,” the governor said.
Out of the ₦8.2bn released, ₦6.6bn went to 2,142 retired state workers, while ₦1.6bn was set aside for 1,062 retirees from the local government service.
The latest payout brings total gratuity payments under Yahaya’s administration to ₦33.8bn, the highest in Gombe’s history.
Before now, Gombe had battled years of unpaid entitlements stretching back over a decade. Many pensioners reportedly struggled with healthcare and basic needs as gratuity arrears piled up. Yahaya, who came into office in 2019, has since made clearing these debts one of his administration’s financial priorities.
Yahaya explained that the payments were divided according to the financial capacity of each tier of government.
For local governments, the disbursement covers retirees from Funakaye, Kwami, and Nafada (2024 retirees), Akko, Billiri, and Shongom (2018 retirees), Dukku and Balanga (2017), and Gombe, Kaltungo, and Yamaltu-Deba (2016).
He added that the government’s prudent financial management and transparency made the exercise possible.
“For us, this is about discipline and trust. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after a lifetime of service,” Yahaya said.
With this latest round of payments, thousands of pensioners across Gombe have reason to smile again. The state government has pledged to continue settling outstanding entitlements until all retirees are paid.
Governor Yahaya reaffirmed his administration’s commitment: “No one who has served Gombe faithfully should suffer in retirement because of unpaid benefits.”
