New Year gift: Zulum clears N8b retirement benefits backlog owed teachers, others

From Usman Abubakar, Maiduguri

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has presented a new year gift to retired primary school teachers and other civil servants in the state by approving N8 billion to clear the backlog of pensions and other liabilities owed them between 2019 and 2021.
He made the announcement while delivering his new year message to the state, Wednesday, January 1.
The Governor had released N3b in June and September 2019 to clear gratuities of 1,684 retirees who left the civil service between 2013 and 2019 and disbursed over N12b in 2020 for retirees who left both the state and local government civil service between 2013 and 2017.
“Since I took over in 2019 to date, we have paid about 25 billion naira for the settlement of gratuities for those that have worked with the local and state governments,” Zulum said.
Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has assured that his administration will settle all the backlog of gratuities and pensions before the end of his tenure in 2027.
He said, “Insh’Allah, I will clear all the backlog of gratuities before I leave the office in 2027.”