Retired FG employees seek Umahi’s intervention over unpaid allowances
By Mohammed Ismail
Twenty one retired employees of the Federal Ministry of Works have appealed to the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to intervene in the prolonged non-payment of their repatriation allowances, describing the delay as a violation of their statutory entitlements and a source of severe hardship.
The retirees, who said they are among more than 5,000 workers who exited the ministry between 2023 and 2024, urged the minister to expedite the payment of the outstanding benefits in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules.
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In a petition dated July 15, 2026, and acknowledged by the Office of the Minister on July 26, the former workers lamented what they described as years of neglect despite their dedicated service to the nation.
The petition was signed by the leader of the group, Engr. Mohammed Katun, a former Assistant Director who retired from the ministry on October 9, 2024.
According to the retirees, the failure to pay their repatriation allowances has left many of them facing serious financial challenges in retirement.
“We, the undersigned, retired from the Federal Ministry of Works between 2023 and 2024 after years of meritorious service to our fatherland,” the petition stated.
The group alleged that, apart from a few retired staff at the ministry’s headquarters, no retiree had received repatriation allowances for more than three years.
They maintained that the allowance is a statutory entitlement guaranteed under Public Service Rule (PSR) 042201 and should not be treated as a discretionary payment.
“This non-payment has caused us severe hardship in our old age. Despite serving Nigeria diligently, repatriation allowance is a statutory entitlement, not a privilege,” the petition read.
The retirees appealed to Senator Umahi to approve and direct the immediate release of all outstanding repatriation allowances owed to eligible former employees of the ministry.
They further claimed that over 5,000 workers had retired from the Federal Ministry of Works since 2023, but alleged that less than one per cent had received their repatriation benefits.
The petitioners expressed confidence that the minister would address their grievances, urging him to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves.
They also noted that their retirement notifications were duly acknowledged by the Director of Human Resource Management, Aliyu Abdullahi, who signed the acceptance of their retirement letters.
The retirees said prompt payment of the outstanding allowances would provide much-needed relief to former workers who devoted years of service to the ministry and are now grappling with the economic realities of retirement.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Ministry of Works nor the Office of the Minister had issued an official response to the petition or the allegations raised by the retirees.
