![Sokoto Govt Inherites N13bn Backlog of Gratuities, HOTPEN](https://hotpen.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/images-1.jpeg)
……..urges Govt to be Pensioners friendly
By Umar Adam Sokoto
The Sokoto State Concerned Pensioners Forum says the state government has inherited over N13 billion backlog of gratuities and appealed to governor Aliyu led administration to be more Pensioners Friendly to mitigate problems.
The forum Administrative Secretary, Muhammad Garba Bazza stated this during a press conference held at the Sokoto Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Bazza who recall that some time in December 2023 a serving Senator and immediate past governor of the state at the Senate Chamber said he paid all backlog of pensions arrears before handing over in May 2023.
“But to our knowledge in Sokoto State, there is no backlog of monthly pensions but that of gratuity.
“We concluded that the declaration is one of the 21st-centuary surprises that has ever been made in the history of handing over the affairs of the state.
“And for the record the present administration inherited over N13 billion backlog of gratuities according to our source of information but the ongoing gratuity verification will come up with an exact figure.”
He expressed sad on the extent of how pension rights of Local government and local government education authorities and state retirees, Pensioners were violated.
According to him, minimum monthly pension in the state which includes LGAs, LGEAs and state level is N4,500 for the past 22 years.
Also, the highest paid monthly pension at LGAs, LGEAs is N45,000 this was due to no implementation of N18,000 minimum wage and health workers salary since March 2013 to date.
The forum appeal to Sokoto State Government to be more ‘pensioner friendly ‘ to mitigate most of the problems as an offshoot of the former governor’s Wamakko administration.