By Peter Onyekachukwu 
…..Vows to end backlog by 2027
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on Tuesday disbursed N8.2 billion as gratuity payments to 3,204 retirees across state and local government services.
At the flag-off ceremony in Government House, Yahaya said the payment was part of his administration’s commitment to clear all outstanding gratuities by 2027, describing it as a “bold step” toward fulfilling that promise.
He said N6.6 billion of the total sum was allocated to state retirees covering 2021 to 2023, while 162 local government retirees across the 11 councils would also benefit from the one-year arrears.
The governor assured that the next phase of payments would cater to 2024 and 2025 retirees, pledging that by the first quarter of 2027, no retiree in the state would be owed.
Since assuming office in 2019, Yahaya said his administration had cleared N33.826 billion in gratuities and pension liabilities—an amount he described as “unmatched in Gombe’s history.”
Earlier, the State Auditor-General and Chairman of the Gratuity Payment Committee, Mohammad Buba Gombe, said the N8.171 billion disbursement reflected the government’s fiscal discipline and genuine concern for retired workers.