By Usman Usman Garba
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has so far offset ₦22bn out of the ₦48bn backlog of unpaid retirees’ gratuities and death benefits inherited from the previous administration.
The move followed the Governor’s approval of the fourth tranche of payments amounting to ₦6bn, bringing relief to hundreds of pensioners and next-of-kin of deceased civil servants who have waited years for their entitlements.
Yusuf had earlier released ₦5bn in the first tranche, and ₦6bn each in the second and third, in what is now being described as one of the largest sustained interventions in the history of pension settlement in Kano.
A statement on Wednesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said the ongoing payments are part of the administration’s broader strategy to clear lingering liabilities and rebuild trust in governance.
“Governor Yusuf remains resolute in his pledge to pay every kobo owed to our retirees and the families of our late civil servants,” the statement said.
It added that the Governor’s actions aim to restore dignity to retired workers and bereaved families whose sacrifices helped shape Kano’s development.
The administration assured that the remaining ₦26bn would be cleared in subsequent tranches, with the Governor promising that no affected person would be left behind.
The intervention, which many described as “unprecedented,” has been lauded by labour unions and pensioners’ associations as a bold step toward social justice and responsible governance.
