By Our Reporter
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, on Thursday flagged off the disbursement of N21 billion as accrued liability for life and death benefits to workers of the state and local governments, assuring that no retired worker would leave service with unfulfilled entitlements.
The ceremony, held at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina, marked the final tranche of payments covering verified benefits up to October 2025.
With the latest release, the total amount paid by the Radda administration since inception has risen to N45.89 billion, benefiting 14,560 retirees and families of deceased workers across the state, local governments and local education authorities.
Speaking at the event, Governor Radda said settling pension and gratuity backlogs was a core commitment he made long before assuming office, stressing that retirees deserved dignity and peace of mind after years of service.
“From the time I started nursing the idea to contest for the seat of Katsina State Governor, one of my main visions was how to develop a workable strategy to settle all outstanding liabilities of benefits to workers that retired and those that died while in active service,” he said.
The governor disclosed that upon assumption of office, the State and Local Government Pension Reform Committee verified a total liability of N23.99 billion as of August 2023, comprising N10.35 billion for state government retirees and N13.64 billion for those from local governments and local education authorities.
According to him, a total of N18.56 billion has so far been approved for 4,743 state government beneficiaries, while N27.33 billion was released for 9,817 beneficiaries from local governments and local education authorities.
Radda announced the signing into law of the New Contributory Pension Law 2025, describing it as a landmark reform designed to align Katsina State with global best practices and eliminate administrative bottlenecks in pension administration.
He also inaugurated the Katsina State Pension Bureau, chaired by Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi, and the Katsina State Pension Transition Board, chaired by Alhaji Garba Sanda, to oversee the effective implementation of the new pension scheme.
The governor further revealed that as of December 31, 2025, the Pension Bureau had collected over N19 billion in combined employer and employee contributions, with more than N668 million generated as investment income since June 2025.
Commending the state civil service, Radda described it as vibrant, professional and efficient, while assuring workers of continued improvements in conditions of service, timely promotions and expanded training opportunities.
He also noted that the Local Government Service Commission had been revitalised to ensure full career progression for local government workers.
Earlier, the Head of Civil Service of Katsina State, Mallam Falalu Bawale, praised the governor for releasing about N46 billion to clear gratuity and pension liabilities owed to retired and deceased civil servants.
He assured that workers across the state would reciprocate the gesture through dedication, patriotism and support for the administration’s development agenda.
Bawale also lauded the administration’s worker-friendly policies, including the adoption of merit-based criteria in the appointment of Permanent Secretaries, and commended organised labour for its stabilising role within the civil service.
In his remarks, the Katsina State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hussaini Hamisu Yanduna, described the governor’s action as a demonstration of uncommon political will and genuine commitment to workers’ welfare.
“This reflects leadership that understands that the strength of government is built on the welfare of its people, especially those who have laboured tirelessly in public service,” he said.
Similarly, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Godwin Abumisi, recalled that since assuming office in 2023, Governor Radda had consistently released funds to offset pension arrears, describing pensioners in the state as “blessed” under the current administration.
Abumisi also commended the provision of free healthcare for state pensioners and the subsidised Consumers’ Shop initiative, but appealed to the governor to approve the commencement of the statutory one per cent check-off dues from pensioners’ monthly earnings to strengthen the union.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Executive Secretary of the State and Local Government Pension Transition Board, Hon. Muktar Ammani Aliyu, expressed gratitude to the governor for prioritising both infrastructural and human capital development, noting that Katsina State remained up to date in salary and pension payments.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura; Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari; members of the State Executive Council, permanent secretaries, heads of ministries, departments and agencies, legislators, and thousands of beneficiaries drawn from the state’s 34 local government areas.
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