Enugu Govt Approves ₦32bn For Gratuity Arrears Payment

The authorities of Enugu State has authorised the cost of about ₦32 billion in excellent gratuities owed to retirees, with the primary tranche of ₦10 billion scheduled for launch from subsequent week.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Chidiebere Onyia, said this Friday whereas briefing journalists on the Government House, Enugu, after the State Executive Council assembly.

Onyia stated the cost was a part of the dedication Governor Peter Mbah to clear the inherited gratuity liabilities earlier than the tip of Mbah’s first tenure.

He stated the excellent gratuities had been liabilities inherited by the current administration, including that the state authorities had made provisions for the settlement of the gratuities within the 2026 price range, which had been authorised by the State House of Assembly.

He stated, “This amount of money was put in the 2026 budget and approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly. So, it is in appropriation law.”

According to him, the choice was not a rapidly conceived measure however a part of a deliberate course of to handle the state’s excellent obligations to retired employees. He added that the federal government suspended the present gratuity verification course of in December 2025 and established a verification committee to overview data courting again to 2000.

He stated the train was designed to ascertain the precise liabilities by analyzing retirees’ data and supporting paperwork, including that the quantity authorised by the Executive Council was primarily based on the end result of the verification.

Onyia stated the primary ₦10 billion tranche can be launched to begin funds, after which subsequent tranches would observe till all the verified legal responsibility of roughly ₦32 billion was cleared. He added that the administration was additionally addressing gratuity obligations on the native authorities stage, the place the excellent publicity was estimated at greater than ₦10 billion.

He defined that Governor Mbah had authorised a gathering of the Economic Council to overview the native authorities liabilities to allow native authorities retirees to begin receiving their gratuities quickly, alongside their counterparts on the state stage.

He clarified that the present train centered on legacy gratuities, noting that the federal government had already commenced the cost of excellent pension obligations following the verification of eligible beneficiaries.

“The gratuity owed to every retiree across the board from 2000 will be paid,” he stated.

The SSG additionally disclosed that the verification committee, which he chaired, had reviewed the data of 66,783 individuals throughout the workforce and pension-gratuity classes. He stated the verification train was vital to protect towards fraudulent claims and be certain that funds had been made to professional beneficiaries.

He clarified that retirees, who had issues with the end result of the verifications had been free to submit their complaints to the verification committee for additional overview.

Onyia stated that clearing the inherited gratuity liabilities was an vital step in direction of making certain that the state didn’t proceed to build up unpaid retirement advantages for future administrations. He reiterated that the Mbah administration was dedicated to settling the verified legacy obligations whereas sustaining funds to eligible pensioners and putting in a extra sustainable pension system for the state.