Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Enugu State Government has approved approximately ₦32bn to settle outstanding gratuities owed to retired workers, with an initial ₦10bn tranche scheduled for release to begin payments.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, announced the approval on Friday while briefing journalists at Government House after a State Executive Council meeting.
Onyia said the outstanding liabilities were inherited by the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, which plans to clear the verified obligations before the end of its first tenure.
He explained that the funds had been captured in the 2026 budget approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly.
“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,” he said.
According to the SSG, the government suspended the existing gratuity verification process in December 2025 and established a committee to examine retirement records dating back to 2000. The exercise was intended to determine the actual liabilities and prevent fraudulent claims.
Onyia, who chaired the verification committee, said it reviewed the records of 66,783 persons across workforce and pension-gratuity categories. He added that retirees who disputed the findings could submit complaints to the committee for further review.
“The gratuity owed to every retiree across the board from 2000 will be paid,” he said.
He explained that the initial ₦10bn would commence the payment process, with subsequent releases expected until the entire verified liability of approximately ₦32bn was settled.
The government is also examining outstanding gratuity obligations at the local government level, estimated at more than ₦10bn. Onyia said Mbah had approved a meeting of the Economic Council to review the liabilities and facilitate payments to local government retirees.
He clarified that the current exercise focused on legacy gratuities, while payments of outstanding pension obligations had already commenced following the verification of eligible beneficiaries.
The SSG said clearing the inherited liabilities was part of the administration’s efforts to prevent the continued accumulation of unpaid retirement benefits and establish a more sustainable pension system in Enugu State.
He was accompanied at the briefing by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr Malachy Agbo; the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Chimaobi Okorie; and the Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedett Ekwutosi Okoli.
