Like other states in Nigeria, retirees have been facing untold plight in Bauchi State because of nonpayment of their entitlements. Empathy should be shown to these retirees forced into misery to mitigate their sufferings.
Countless screenings have been conducted, but these retirees have still not been paid. Many of them slumped and died during the incessant screenings since they have been suffering from chronic illnesses.
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These desperate retirees, who dedicated their lives serving our dear state and worked hard and sincerely, shouldn’t be regarded as a worthless burden now.
Without mincing words, a brighter future for retirees depends on well, strategic, visionary planning during their civil service years.
Unfortunately, the public are unfairly laying the blame for nonpayment of Bauchi State retirees’ pension arrears and gratuities entirely on Governor Bala Mohammed. The reality is that successive regimes are to be faulted for that. Recently, he told officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that his government had inherited N27 billion as arrears of pension and gratuities.
I am happy to note that in the 2021 budget, a provision of N9.6 billion was made for the settlement of some outstanding pensions and gratuities of retired civil servants.
I, therefore, appeal to Governor Bala Abdulkadir to keep his promise of addressing the issue of Bauchi State retirees promptly so as to ameliorate their untold sufferings.
Mustapha Baba wrote from Azare, Bauchi State
