Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has cleared a N6 billion baglog of pension and gratuities of 4,271 beneficiaries in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mohammed Goje, disclosed this on Tuesday in Damaturu, when he received members of the Committee on Local Government Staff Pension and Gratuity Payment, who briefed him on the progress and activities of the committee since its reconstitution in July 2022 by the governor.

Goje said the committee was reconstituted by Governor Buni with a mandate to verify local government retirees and the next-of-kin of deceased local government employees to facilitate the processing and payment of their legitimate pension and gratuity entitlements.

According to the committee, the verification, screening and processing exercise has so far resulted in the payment of over ₦6 billion to more than 4,271 beneficiaries, comprising living retirees and the next-of-kin of deceased local government staff.

The SSG commended Governor Buni for his commitment to the welfare of retirees and the families of deceased local government employees, describing the payment as an important intervention towards meeting the government’s obligations to people who dedicated their productive years to public service.

Dr. Goje also commended members of the committee for their diligence and commitment to ensuring that the exercise was conducted in accordance with due process.

The committee chairman added that the verification process was carried out with emphasis on transparency, fairness and due diligence, to ensure that genuine retirees and legitimate next-of-kin of deceased staff received their entitlements.

He explained that beneficiaries were subjected to the necessary screening and verification before their claims were processed, in order to protect the integrity of the exercise and prevent fraudulent claims.

He said with over ₦6 billion already paid to 4,271 beneficiaries, the exercise continues to provide financial relief to retired local government employees and the families of deceased staff across the state