Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has approved the release of over N21 billion for the payment of retirement and death gratuities to workers of the state, local governments and the Local Education Authority.
The approval was disclosed on Thursday by the Head of Civil Service of the state, Alhaji Falalu Bawale, during the inaugural meeting of the committee set up to coordinate the disbursement of the funds.
Bawale said the funds are meant to clear all outstanding retirement and death benefits covering the period from September 2023 to October 2025, noting that the move is aimed at easing the hardship faced by retired workers and families of deceased employees.
According to him, N7.7 billion has been approved as a one-off payment for the settlement of gratuities owed to former state civil servants, which will be paid in December 2025.
He added that over N14 billion has been earmarked for former staff of local governments and the Local Education Authority, stressing that the amount will be disbursed in tranches over four months, from December 2025 to March 2026.
The head of service explained that the governor’s approval is part of efforts to eliminate existing backlogs and improve the welfare of retirees across the state.
He recalled that Governor Radda had earlier approved the release of over N23 billion, which was used to settle outstanding retirement and death benefits owed to workers from January 2019 to August 2023.