Plateau State Government Approves Payment of Pension and Gratuities to Retirees from 1986

The Plateau State Government in Nigeria has approved the payment of pension and gratuities to retirees from 1986 onwards. The Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Rauta Dakok, announced that the state government has approved the release of N300 million monthly to settle the arrears of pensions, gratuities, and death benefits from 1986 to the present.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang gave approval for the disbursement of approximately N20 billion to cover these payments. So far, 5,048 persons have benefited from the verification exercise for the categories of people from 1986 to date. "The state government is spending 300 million naira monthly to settle the arrears of pensions, gratuities, and death benefits from 1986 to date," disclosed Barr. Rauta Dakok.

In addition to clearing the pension and gratuity arrears, the state government has increased the minimum monthly pension for pensioners from N5,188 to N20,000, effective from January 1, 2024. The government has also implemented an upward review of the Hazard Allowance for medical doctors, nurses, and other health workers.

The Plateau State Government has made progress in clearing the inherited salary and pension arrears at the local government level. N1.7 billion in primary school teachers' arrears have been cleared, and N1.2 billion out of the over N1.6 billion in local government staff salary arrears have been paid. The state government is committed to clearing all outstanding arrears of local government staff and pensioners within the next few months.

Why this matters: The payment of long-standing pension and gratuity arrears by the Plateau State Government brings relief to thousands of retirees who have been waiting for their entitlements for decades. This move demonstrates the government's commitment to the welfare of its retired civil servants and their families.

Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon. Musa Ashoms, stated that the aim is for the government to provide insights into what the administration has done in its first year and to work closely with the media to pursue its agenda for growth and development. The administration has also recommended 685 civil servants for various trainings in the 2023/2024 academic session as part of its efforts to enhance the capacity of the state's workforce.

Key Takeaways

• Plateau govt approves payment of pensions, gratuities from 1986 to date.
• Govt releases ₦300M monthly to settle pension, gratuity, and death benefit arrears.
• Minimum monthly pension increased from ₦5,188 to ₦20,000 effective Jan 2024.
• ₦1.7B in primary school teachers' arrears cleared, ₦1.2B of ₦1.6B local govt staff arrears paid.
• Govt recommends 685 civil servants for training in 2023/2024 academic session.