The Enugu State Government has approved about N32bn to settle outstanding gratuities owed to retired workers, with an initial N10bn earmarked for the first phase of payments.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, announced the approval on Friday while briefing journalists at the Government House after a State Executive Council meeting.
According to a statement from Governor Peter Mbah’s media office, the payment is part of the administration’s plan to clear inherited gratuity liabilities before the end of the governor’s first tenure.
Onyia said the funds were captured in the state’s 2026 budget and approved by the 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,” he said.
He explained that the government suspended the previous gratuity verification process in December 2025 and constituted a committee to review records dating back to 2000.
The exercise, he said, was aimed at determining the actual amount owed to eligible retirees by examining their records and supporting documents.
Onyia added that the approved N10bn would initiate the payments, while additional funds would be released in subsequent tranches until the verified liability of approximately N32bn was fully settled.
He gave an assurance that all eligible retirees with outstanding gratuities dating back to 2000 would be covered by the exercise.
“The gratuity owed to every retiree across the board from 2000 will be paid,” he stated.
The SSG disclosed that the verification committee, which he chaired, examined records belonging to 66,783 individuals across workforce and pension-gratuity categories.
He said the process was necessary to prevent fraudulent claims and ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries received payments. Retirees dissatisfied with the outcome of the exercise, he added, could submit complaints to the committee for review.
Onyia also disclosed that the state government was working to address outstanding gratuity obligations at the local government level, estimated at more than N10bn.
According to him, Governor Mbah had approved a meeting of the Economic Council to review the liabilities and facilitate payments to local government retirees.
He clarified that the current initiative focused on legacy gratuities, while payments for outstanding pension obligations had already commenced following the verification of eligible beneficiaries.
The SSG said clearing the inherited liabilities would help prevent the continued accumulation of unpaid retirement benefits and support the development of a sustainable pension system.
The announcement comes amid criticism of the state government by opposition parties, with the gratuity payment initiative also potentially becoming an issue in the build-up to the next governorship election.
