Enugu State pensioners have begun receiving gratuity payments that date back to 2000, with some claims extending into the military era, following the approval of a N32 billion liability by the state government. Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has started clearing these 26-year arrears, a move that union leaders and beneficiaries describe as a fulfillment of a key campaign promise to resolve legacy debts.
Ikechukwu Ekere, Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), confirmed that members have started receiving payment alerts. He characterized the development as an emotional milestone for retirees who had largely abandoned hope of receiving their entitlements in their lifetime. “Governor Mbah is a promise keeper; he has done it again and we can’t thank him enough,” Ekere stated.
The Accountant-General of Enugu State, Mr. Tony Okenwa, detailed the process behind the payments, noting that the State Executive Council approved N32 billion after several layers of verification. Okenwa said Governor Mbah released an initial N10 billion and assured that further releases would continue until the entire liability was cleared. Okenwa recalled that the governor consistently insisted during discussions that no senior citizen should go to bed hungry, expressing personal frustration at the idea of workers retiring without receiving their earned gratuity.
Beneficiaries expressed profound relief after years of waiting, noting that previous administrations had failed to pay these debts even during periods of high crude oil revenue. Mr. Luke Obi Ezea, who retired in 2014 after 35 years of service, said he had resigned himself to fate after previous governors made empty promises. “But Peter Mbah is an action governor and keeps his word,” Ezea said. Similarly, Mr. Paul Ozoeze, a 2010 retiree, described the payment as restoring life to his body after nearly 20 years of suffering.
Mr. Sunday Nwadi, a 2015 retiree, highlighted that the current administration is also up to date on monthly pension payments, unlike previous governments that often owed pensions for many months. He described Governor Mbah as a leader who does not play politics with the welfare of his people. Susanna Emehelu, whose husband retired in 2013, said the gratuity would help ameliorate their financial challenges, noting that her husband was overjoyed to finally receive the fruits of his labor.
Kenneth Ugwueze, Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Local Government Staff Pensions Board Branch, praised the new dimensions in pension administration, particularly in the local government system. He noted that since the conclusion of a verification exercise in July 2024, no pensioner in the local government system has been denied their pension. “It takes a large quantity of milk of human kindness” for a governor to pay debts incurred by predecessors, Ugwueze said, adding that the union would continue to pray for the governor.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
