By Jabiru Hassan, Kano.
Penshioneers in Kano state have called on governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to settle their long awaiting Gratuities which is becoming more paining to those who have retired after serving the state in accordance with labour law.
Staging a protest in Kano, the Penshioneers from all the 44 local government areas stormed Kano government House calling on the state government to pay them their entittlements in order to reap the sweet of their labour.
Speaking in support of the protesters, the state’s chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress Comrade Ado Minjibir said that it is time for the present administration to pay all the Penshioneers because they are really suffering for long time without payments which is paining.
He said that Kano state government is owing over 32,600 retirees to the tune of over 30bn naira , adding that as at June, 2022, 18,111 Penshioneers had unpaid arrears which also resulted in the death of many people while other falls sick due to non-payment.
Responding, the state’s head of service who is also acting as chief of staff to the governor, malam Usman Bala disclosed that the accumulated unpaid penshion arrears could be traced to past administrations as inherited by governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
” As you all know, former governor Kwankwaso used all the penshion money where he build houses in the state without the consent of the Penshioneers and the houses were now laying waste without anybody using both of them, but with all these issues governor Ganduje is paying monthly penshions and also trying to pay some gratuity despites financial challenges”.
Speaking to our correspondent, some Penshioneers who attended the protest said that ” Payments of gratuity in Kano state is something political, we have seen how some retirees got their money through the window because once you have somebody, your money would be paid. Payments of gratuities should not be politicised because it is a responsibility”. They added.
