Gladness Gideon
The Enugu State Government has commenced the disbursement of gratuities to civil servants who retired from January 2025, fulfilling Governor Peter Mbah’s directive to address pension backlogs.
Confirming the development on March 13, 2025, the State Accountant General, Anthony Okenwa, stated that payments were prioritized for retirees who had completed the mandatory biometric verification. The verification process, introduced to eliminate ghost workers, is part of the government’s strategy to ensure transparency and accountability in pension disbursement.
Okenwa also addressed concerns about outstanding gratuities for retirees between 2010 and 2024, clarifying that these payments remain under review pending verification. He assured that once the process is completed, the arrears would be cleared in installments.
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“The governor has directed that all retirees will receive their pensions and gratuities in phases until all outstanding payments are settled,” Okenwa affirmed.
Governor Mbah, who had pledged during his election campaign to resolve the backlog of pension debts, is now implementing this commitment through structured payments. The initiative aims to ease the financial strain on retirees and uphold the government’s responsibility to its former workforce.
The administration has reiterated its dedication to ensuring the timely payment of gratuities and pensions, emphasizing that the ongoing process is part of a broader strategy to enhance workers’ welfare and maintain financial stability in the state.