Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has directed the release of N500 million every month for the payment of gratuities in the state.
The governor gave the directive shortly after the presentation of the report on the verification of unpaid gratuities between 2015 and 2023 on Wednesday.
The report, which was presented to the governor in his office on Wednesday, stated that the state has N14 billion in accumulated gratuities, affirming that no payment had been made since 2015.
The report added that about 5,000 retired workers await gratuities, of which over 900 are deceased.
Receiving the report, the governor assured that his administration would ensure that the sum of four billion Naira would be released for the payment of gratuities before the end of this year.
He said, “The sum of N500 million will be released every month beginning from May 29.
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“This is to put a smile on the faces of our retired civil servants and their families.
“So the claim of the immediate past Governor (Senator Aminu Tambuwal) is found to be untrue and misleading.
“Because up until now, there was not a single record available showing that our retirees were paid between 2015 and 2023.
“As I receive this report, I hereby direct the release of the sum of four billion Naira for this year to offset the backlog of accumulated gratuities,” he mentioned.
“The sum of N500 million will be paid monthly beginning from this month. I want to appeal to the beneficiaries to utilize the money in a manner that will be beneficial to their respective families,” he pleaded.
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