By: Adelowo Oladipo, Minna
Retired civil servants in Niger State and local government level have appealed to the Niger State Governor, Muhammad Umaru Bago to as a matter of utmost importance, resume payment of retirement benefits to pensioner’s without further delay.
Chairman, Alternate (JAC), Mr.Steven Daniel Zita,made the appeal while speaking to newsmen shortly after meeting with pensioners during a Press Conference, held at the U.K.Bello Art Theater, Minna on Tuesday 13 , January, 2026.
JAC, a collation of Five forum of Niger State pensioner’s, which includes, Association of Head of Service & Permanent Secretaries forum, Directors Forum, Concern Citizens Forum, Association of Local Government Retirees, as well as Pressure Group.
Daniel Zita explained that the meeting was aimed to brief the pensioners on the prevailing circumstances surrounding the stoppage of payment of their entitlements by the state government.
The JAC Chairman further explained that Governor Umaru Bago had promised that N25 Billion was set aside to clear the backlog of gratuity, remarking that government released first trench of N10 Billion out of which N6.5 Billion was paid to pensioners, but, regrettably, since March 2024, the payment has been stopped and no explanation from any quarter.
According to him, “We have decided to engage the traditional rulers in the state zone by zone, we presented our demands to them to assist us intervened and talk to the governor,we embarked on prayers, we met the Governor personally, but yet, the Governor has not responded.”
He added that,”we don’t know what we have done to the Governor, because, shortly after the payment started,it stopped without explanation,” he stressed.
Mr.Daniel however expressed regrets that many pensioner’s awaiting the payment of their entitlements have died as a result of high expectations.
In Zita’s words,”Pensioner’s are dieing on daily basis,you know old age has it’s own problem,you have money somewhere,and you don’t have access to it,it is more painful,so we are calling on the governor to please forgive us,if,anyone of us has done anything wrong to him,we are pleading”.Zita begged.
The JAC Chair, lauded governor Umaru Bago for the timely enrollment of pensioner’s into the Niger State Contributory Health Care Agency (NICARE), free.
In their separate remarks,Mrs. Mary Damisa,a pensioner lamented that she had (8) children and the monthly pension she received couldn’t sustain her with the family,she urged Bago to resume payment of gratuity without further delay.
Another pensioner,Elder Bayo,a retired Director,with 7 children, explained that initially,he believed in the governor’s pronouncement of the release of N25 Billion to the State Pension Board to settle pensioner’s, adding that,along the line,the payment stopped.
According to Bayo, “I have lost confidence on the politicians, because,when they need you,they will look for you, but,once they have done with you,they forget you”, he declared.
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