Kwara Pensioners To Receive Gratuities On First-Served Basis

The Kwara State Government has constituted two committees comprising technocrats and labour leaders to verify existing gratuity records at both the state and local government levels.

The committees are also tasked with clearing pensioners for payment based on the dates of their retirement from the civil service.

The Commissioner for Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, announced the establishment of the committees in a statement issued yesterday.

The eight-member committee for state gratuities is chaired by the State Auditor-General, while the committee for local government gratuities is headed by the Local Government Auditor-General.
Members of the committees include representatives of retired permanent secretaries, the Retired Civil Servants’ Association, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), accounting and finance staff (ICAN-certified and ANAN-certified), Mrs Iyabo Adebayo (secretary, state committee), and Mrs Amina Ahmed (secretary, local government committee).

The local government committee also includes representatives of the Retired Local Government Civil Servants’ Association and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

“The primary objective of the committees is to ensure the accurate and transparent compilation of outstanding state and local government gratuities for eligible pensioners in readiness for automated bank transfer payments,” the Commissioner said.

The terms of reference for the committees include requesting and obtaining from the Pension Board the detailed yearly gratuity schedule of all outstanding liabilities to date; verifying the accuracy and completeness of the records; and confirming the eligibility of all pensioners using the PSN Number/Pension Number, KWSSRA SSID database, and National Identification Number (NIN).

Other responsibilities include ensuring proper record reconciliation by cross-checking figures against available government documents; prioritising payment recommendations chronologically; ensuring that disbursements commence from the oldest outstanding year and progress upward in line with available funds; and maintaining accountability and audit readiness throughout all processes and documentation.