The Enugu State Government has approved ₦32 billion to settle outstanding gratuity arrears owed to retired civil servants dating back to 2000, with the first ₦10 billion payment scheduled to begin next week. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this on Friday while briefing Government House correspondents after the State Executive Council meeting in Enugu.
Onyia said the approval was part of Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to clearing gratuity debts inherited from previous administrations and ensuring that retirees receive their entitlements.
The SSG said the government had conducted a comprehensive verification exercise to establish the actual amount owed to retirees following years of unstructured and arbitrary gratuity payments.
“Once the first ₦10 billion is exhausted, another ₦10 billion will be released, followed by the third tranche until the outstanding arrears are cleared,” he said.
Onyia added that the ₦32 billion gratuity obligation had been captured in the state’s 2026 budget and approved by the State House of Assembly.
He further disclosed that Governor Mbah had approved a meeting of the State Economic Council to review outstanding gratuity arrears owed by local governments, which he estimated at more than ₦10 billion.
According to him, the government is considering deducting ₦1 billion monthly from local government funds to settle the arrears over approximately 10 months.
The SSG clarified that the state government had continued to pay pensions and gratuities to workers retiring under the current administration while addressing outstanding pension obligations.
He dismissed claims that the administration had refused to take responsibility for pension arrears inherited from previous governments.
Onyia disclosed that the government had verified 66,783 serving and retired workers as part of efforts to eliminate irregularities and ensure transparency in the payment process.
He urged retirees experiencing difficulties during the verification exercise to submit their complaints to the verification committee in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
According to him, the complaints would be reviewed individually to ensure that eligible beneficiaries were not excluded from receiving their entitlements.
The SSG also disclosed plans to move workers to the contributory pension scheme to prevent the accumulation of gratuity arrears in the future.
He said the government was working with organised labour and pension fund administrators to develop a sustainable pension system.
“Under the contributory pension scheme, workers will have their retirement funds managed by pension fund administrators, making it easier for them to access their benefits upon retirement,” he said.
