Kano State Government has put smiles on the faces of pensioners as payment of long-overdue pensions and gratuities commenced.
The funds, released through the Kano State Pension Trustees, mark a major milestone in the governor’s ongoing effort to clear the ₦48 billion backlog of unpaid gratuities and death benefits inherited from previous administrations.
At a formal ceremony marking the beginning of payment, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, restated his administration’s unwavering commitment to pensioners and families of deceased civil servants.
“This is part of our broader effort to right historical wrongs, rebuild public trust, and restore the dignity of our retirees,” the governor stated.
“We will not stop until the remaining ₦26 billion is fully paid and every eligible beneficiary receives what they are owed.”
The governor noted that the payments were not acts of generosity but a moral and constitutional responsibility to those who served the state diligently.
Pensioners who received their payments appreciated Governor Yusuf for the lifeline after years of neglect.
Uzairu Umar Dambatta, a former staff member of the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), confirmed receiving ₦1.875 million, while a retired school teacher, Ladi Lawan Dawakin Tofa, said he got ₦1.635 million in unpaid entitlements.
“I didn’t believe it at first when I saw the alert. This payment has changed everything for my family,” ,” Dambatta said.
Apart from direct beneficiaries, civil society organizations, retirees’ associations, and policy analysts have praised the intervention as a model of people-centered governance.
Many describe it as one of the most impactful social interventions in the state’s recent history.
