Fintiri’s N8bn gratuity vow: We’ve cleared state claims, waiting for cash backing – Ctee member
A member of the Adamawa State Pension Committee, inaugurated by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to oversee the disbursement of the N8 billion gratuity arrears he promised pensioners of state and local governments, has disclosed that the panel has already completed reconciling state government’s gratuity liabilities.
The source, who requested anonymity as he is not authorised to speak publicly, told our reporter that the committee submitted the verified payment bill to the governor nearly a month ago and is now awaiting cash backing to commence settlement of the gratuity backlog.
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Governor Fintiri had in September re-constituted the pension committee under the chairmanship of Engr. Benson Jelani, tasking it with ensuring probity, accountability and fairness due to the prolonged challenges which plagued the system.
The inauguration, performed on the governor’s behalf by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Auwal Tukur, was framed as a decisive move to restore fairness and transparency to handling the state’s pension and gratuity liabilities—issues that have stirred widespread frustration among retirees for years.
During the ceremony, the SSG noted that the administration recognised the severe financial hardship pensioners face due to the lingering backlog, stressing that the new committee was mandated to fast-track verification processes and recommend modalities for prompt disbursement.
The governor had earlier promised to use the N8bn facility earmarked for this purpose to clear a significant portion of the accumulated arrears.
However, months after this announcement, anxiety has grown within the pensioner community as the year draws to a close with no commencement of payments.
Many retirees fear the committee may be another bureaucratic layer that could stall rather than expedite the long-awaited relief, especially as the governor first made the pledge about eight months ago.
A fact-finding visit to the committee’s secretariat by journalists yielded little clarity as officials insisted they would only brief the press upon completing their assignment.
But the insider who spoke to our correspondent maintained that the committee has been working diligently and has already concluded the state segment of the reconciliation exercise.
“We have finished reconciling the state gratuity bill and submitted it to the governor about a month ago. What remains is the cash backing. Once funds are released, payment will begin immediately,” he said.
He added that work is ongoing on the local government gratuity arrears, describing the process as intensive but nearing completion.
“As soon as the government provides the funds, retirees will start receiving their entitlements without delay,” he assured.
