By Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

The Gombe State Government has begun the disbursement of ₦10.32 billion in gratuity to 6,665 retired workers, as the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya moves to clear outstanding retirement benefits and prevent a fresh accumulation of arrears.

The payment, which covers retirees at both the state and local government levels, was announced by Yahaya on Thursday at the official commencement of the latest gratuity disbursement exercise in Gombe.

The governor said ₦6.24 billion would go to 2,354 state government retirees, while ₦4.08 billion had been released to support the 11 local government councils in settling gratuity obligations owed to 4,311 retirees.

Yahaya said the latest disbursement marked the sixth major round of gratuity payments undertaken by his administration since it assumed office in 2019.

According to him, the government inherited a ₦21 billion gratuity backlog covering retirees of both the state and local governments.

He said the financial situation inherited by the administration made it difficult to immediately clear the liabilities, noting that some local governments were struggling to meet their monthly salary obligations.

“When we assumed office in 2019, we inherited a gratuity backlog of ₦21 billion owed to state and local government retirees,” Yahaya said.

He said his administration nevertheless prioritised the payment of the arrears because gratuity was an entitlement earned by workers after years of service.

The governor said ₦33.283 billion had been paid in gratuities before the latest disbursement, bringing the total amount paid by the administration to ₦44.134 billion.

He attributed the government’s continued payment of the arrears to prudent management of public resources despite several economic challenges experienced during his tenure.

Among the challenges, he listed the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recessions, the Russia-Ukraine war, the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.

Yahaya said the latest payment had cleared the state’s gratuity obligations up to December 2025.

He, however, acknowledged that new liabilities had accumulated from January 2026, assuring retirees that gratuities accruing in 2026 would be paid early in 2027.

The governor also disclosed that ₦299 million had been paid to former employees of the Gombe Investment and Property Development Company following the dissolution of the organisation and the establishment of the Gombe State Investment Promotion Agency.

He added that he had approved the settlement of outstanding gratuities owed former local government chairmen and councillors from previous administrations to date.

For local government retirees, Yahaya said the latest payments covered different periods, depending on the level of outstanding obligations in each council.

The affected councils are Akko, Balanga, Billiri, Dukku, Funakaye, Kwami, Nafada, Gombe, Kaltungo, Shongom and Yamaltu-Deba.

Beyond clearing the existing backlog, Yahaya said the government was working on a mechanism to prevent gratuity arrears from accumulating again.

He said the options being considered included adopting a contributory pension arrangement or making direct deductions from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to guarantee regular payment of retirees’ entitlements.

“Our objective is simple: gratuity obligations must never again be allowed to accumulate and become an unbearable burden to the state and our retirees,” he said.

The governor linked the latest payment to other measures introduced by his administration to improve workers’ welfare, including the implementation of the new minimum wage and CONMESS and CONHESS for medical personnel.

He also cited the construction of a new state secretariat, judicial and legislative complexes, 13 Local Council Development Area secretariats and the rehabilitation of 11 former local government secretariats.

On recruitment, Yahaya said his administration had been cautious about expanding the public workforce because of the financial burden inherited from previous years.

He said the government had nevertheless employed 1,000 teachers and more than 440 health workers, in addition to workers recruited into various agencies established by the administration.

With the inherited gratuity backlog substantially addressed, Yahaya said the state was now better positioned to recruit workers based on the actual needs of the public service.

He appealed to retirees, civil servants and labour unions to continue supporting the government’s reforms, assuring them that financial discipline and workers’ entitlements would remain priorities.

“For us, this is not just about figures. It is about restoring dignity to people who gave the best years of their lives in service to Gombe State,” Yahaya said.

By Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has commissioned roads, a bridge, a Local Council Development Area (LCDA) secretariat and two district head palaces in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The projects, located in Bojude and Daban Fulani communities, were commissioned by Zulum during a ceremony attended by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and other government officials, traditional rulers and residents.

Speaking at the event, Zulum said the projects reflected the importance of investing simultaneously in infrastructure, grassroots administration and traditional institutions.

He said the roads and bridge would improve connectivity for rural communities and make it easier for residents to access markets, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential services.

According to him, improved road networks could also help farmers move their produce to markets and strengthen economic activities in rural areas.

“For our rural communities, a reliable road can make the difference between produce reaching the market and going to waste; between a child attending school regularly and struggling to get there; and between a patient receiving timely care and facing a difficult journey,” he said.

Zulum commended the Gombe State Government for prioritising infrastructure development in Kwami, saying better connectivity remained essential to improving livelihoods and expanding economic opportunities.

He, however, said the success of the newly commissioned Bojude LCDA Secretariat would depend largely on the quality of services delivered to residents.

The governor urged officials working at the secretariat to make responsiveness, accountability and fairness central to their responsibilities.

“I urge those who will work in this secretariat to make it a place where citizens are welcomed, listened to, and served with fairness and respect,” he said.

Zulum also stressed the importance of traditional institutions, particularly in maintaining peace, resolving disputes and strengthening the relationship between government and local communities.

He said the new palaces for the District Heads of Bojude and Daban Fulani should serve not only as administrative residences but also as centres for dialogue, reconciliation and community leadership.

“Our traditional rulers preserve our heritage, promote peaceful coexistence, help resolve disputes, and provide a vital link between government and the people,” he said.

The Borno governor urged traditional rulers to continue supporting government efforts in education, peacebuilding, community cooperation and security.

He commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration for executing the projects, stressing that governments in the North-East needed to work together to address the region’s development challenges.

Zulum said the region’s governors had a shared responsibility to strengthen institutions, expand opportunities and improve the conditions of citizens.

He also appealed to residents of Bojude and Daban Fulani to protect the newly commissioned facilities and ensure that they were properly maintained.

“Let us also remember that commissioning marks the beginning of a facility’s service to the public. The work must continue through proper maintenance, effective administration, and a lasting commitment to the people for whom these projects were built,” he said.

Zulum thereafter formally commissioned the roads and bridge projects, the Bojude LCDA Secretariat and the district head palaces in Bojude and Daban Fulani for use by the communities.

He prayed for continued peace and development in Gombe State, Borno State, the North-East and Nigeria.

In his remarks, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the creation of the Local Council Development Areas was aimed at bringing governance and development closer to the people. He said the initiative was inspired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s experience as governor of Lagos State, where similar structures were used to deepen grassroots administration and improve access to government services.

Inuwa said the establishment of the 13 development areas was part of his administration’s effort to strengthen local governance and ensure that communities received greater attention in the delivery of infrastructure and public services. He expressed appreciation to Governor Zulum for honouring the invitation to commission the projects, describing his presence as a demonstration of the bonds of cooperation and solidarity among North-East states.

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

The Gombe State Government and civil society organisations have renewed their commitment to promoting citizen participation, transparency and accountability in the state’s budget and development processes.

Director of Budget Muhammad Adamu, who represented the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, stated this while speaking during the presentation of the 2025 Citizens’ Accountability Report to civil society organisations and community leaders across the Gombe North and Gombe South Senatorial Districts on Wednesday.

Adamu said the report reflected the government’s commitment to transparent, accountable and responsive governance, describing it as an important tool for building public confidence and strengthening the relationship between government and citizens. He urged participants to ask questions, make constructive contributions and provide feedback capable of improving public resource management and service delivery.

The engagement, organised by the Gombe State Civil Society Network (GONET), brought together government officials, civil society organisations, community leaders, youth representatives and members of the media to deliberate on budget accountability and citizens’ participation in governance.

Chairman of GONET, Ambassador Ibrahim Yusuf, said continuous engagement with citizens was improving accountability and communication between government and communities. He said the network was promoting constructive dialogue rather than simply blaming government, by providing citizens with information about policies, budgets and development projects.

Yusuf explained that GONET also serves as a platform for citizens to communicate their needs and priorities to government, creating a two-way engagement that has contributed to the inclusion of some community-driven projects in government budgets.

He said GONET would sustain its engagement with communities until information gaps and misconceptions between citizens and government were substantially reduced.

Also speaking, youth advocate from Billiri Local Government Area, Joy Haida, described citizen participation in budgeting and development planning as crucial to strengthening cooperation between communities and government.

Haida said the 2025 Citizens’ Accountability Report showed that some issues raised by citizens had been reflected in ongoing infrastructure projects, including road construction. She, however, called for effective implementation of identified projects across communities, stressing that successful delivery would boost public confidence and promote inclusive development.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) in Bare Local Government Area, Muhammad Jonh Tarasu, urged the Gombe State Government and GONET to take citizen engagement on the budget directly to grassroots communities across the state.

Tarasu said taking the engagement to the grassroots would empower citizens, community leaders and WDCs to understand government budgets, monitor projects and demand accountability.

He commended GONET for its efforts and called for wider participation to strengthen government-community relations, improve transparency and enhance service delivery and development across Gombe State.