… Governor AbdulRazaq approves transparent process to clear backlog, prioritising retirees by year of exit

KwaraRising

The Kwara State Government has established two nonpartisan technical committees made up of technocrats and Labour leaders to verify gratuity records at both state and local government levels, ensuring that pensioners are paid based on when they retired from service.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approved the initiative as part of his administration’s renewed commitment to transparency, accountability, and fairness in the payment of outstanding gratuities across the state.

According to the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, the eight-member committee for state gratuities is chaired by the State Auditor General, while the Local Government Auditor General heads the committee for local government retirees.

Other members include representatives of the retired Permanent Secretaries, retired civil servants’ associations, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and certified accounting professionals from ICAN and ANAN. Mrs. Iyabo Adebayo and Mrs. Amina Ahmed will serve as secretaries for the state and local government committees respectively.

“The primary objective of the committee is to ensure the accuracy and transparent compilation of outstanding state and LGA gratuities for eligible pensioners in readiness for automated bank transfer payments,” Dr. Nuru said.

She explained that the committees have been tasked with verifying detailed yearly gratuity schedules from the pension boards, confirming the eligibility of pensioners using PSN, Pension Numbers, KWSSRA SSID database, and NIN, and reconciling all records against government documents.

The committees will also prioritise payments starting from the oldest outstanding year, recommend disbursements based on available funds, and ensure proper documentation for audit purposes.

Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration has consistently prioritised the welfare of retirees, having cleared multiple years of inherited arrears while instituting a structured, transparent process to sustain regular gratuity payments going forward.