Enugu Approves N32bn for Retirees’ Gratuity, to Disburse N10bn Next Week

The Enugu State Government has approved N32 billion for the settlement of outstanding gratuities owed to retired civil servants in the state, dating back to 2000.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Enugu.

Onyia said the first tranche of N10 billion will be released next week to commence immediate payment to verified retirees.

He said the approval is part of Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to clear all inherited gratuity liabilities before the end of his first term in office.

According to him, the N32 billion has already been captured in the 2026 Appropriation Law passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly.

“This amount of money was put in the 2026 budget and approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly. So, it is in appropriation law,” Onyia said.

The SSG explained that the government had suspended the previous verification exercise in December 2025 and constituted a new committee to audit records from 2000 to date.

He said the committee verified 66,783 records across workforce and pension-gratuity categories, and the N32 billion approval was based on its report.

Onyia assured that every legitimate retiree captured in the exercise would be paid, adding that the payment would be done in tranches until the entire liability is cleared.

“The gratuity owed to every retiree across the board from 2000 will be paid,” he said.

He noted that the verification became necessary to eliminate ghost names and fraudulent claims, and urged retirees with complaints about the outcome to forward them to the committee for review.

Onyia further disclosed that gratuity arrears at the local government level stands at over N10 billion, adding that Governor Mbah has approved a meeting of the State Economic Council to address the liability.

He clarified that the current exercise covers only legacy gratuities, stressing that the administration had already commenced payment of pension arrears after verification.

Also present at the briefing were the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie; and Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedett Ekwutosi Okoli.