June 29, (THEWILL) – Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, says his administration has no records of retirees’ deducted pensions by the previous administration in the state.
The State Government, therefore, cannot pay such monies to the retirees, as there are no documents to support the payments, the Governor said.
He made the clarifications while flagging off the second phase of the payment of N5 billion as gratuities and death benefits to retirees and families of deceased civil servants in the state at the Government House, Kano, on Saturday.
He said the State Government had in the first phase paid the beneficiaries the sum of N6 billion, bringing the total sum to N11 billion.
“We are handicapped; we are constrained that we cannot trace your pension monies deducted by the previous administration in the state.
“We have done all the necessary checks to trace the deducted money from your pensions but we could not trace a single Kobo, hence the need to advise you to initiate efforts to recover your money,” he said.
Yusuf, therefore, advised the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to write a complaint to the State Government asking for the whereabouts of their money.
He said the government, on its part, would institute an investigation and whoever is found to have diverted the funds would be made to undergo the necessary legal processes to return it.
He said the State Government would, thereafter, assist in returning the deducted monies to the retirees.
The Governor said his administration would continue to pay the retirees and families of deceased civil servants their entitlements to enable them to cater for their families and other needs.
“The monies we are paying you today are your entitlements; they are not empowerments, they are your rights,” the Governor added.
A total of 4,000 retirees and families of deceased civil servants are to receive their entitlements in the second phase of the payment.
About the Author
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
