Thousands of retired workers in Enugu State will begin receiving their long-awaited gratuities from next week after the state government approved the payment of about ₦32 billion in outstanding benefits.
The first tranche of ₦10 billion has been approved for immediate disbursement to verified retirees.
Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, announced the decision after the State Executive Council meeting on Friday.
He said the unpaid gratuities were inherited by the Governor Peter Mbah administration and had been captured in the 2026 budget approved by the State House of Assembly.
Onyia explained that the government suspended the old verification process and reviewed records dating back to 2000 before approving the payments.
He said the exercise was carried out to ensure that only genuine retirees receive the money and to prevent fraudulent claims.
According to him, every verified retiree owed gratuity from 2000 will be paid in phases until the full ₦32 billion liability is cleared.
He added that the government is also working to settle more than ₦10 billion in outstanding gratuities owed to retired local government workers.
Retirees who are dissatisfied with their verification results have been asked to submit complaints to the verification committee for review.
The government said clearing the inherited debt will bring relief to thousands of pensioners and prevent future administrations from inheriting unpaid retirement benefits.