Legally speaking, gratuities are birthrights of retired civil servants both at the state, federal, and local government levels, one is qualified for gratuities after he or she attains 35 years in active service or clocks 60 years of age while still in service.
Payments of pensions and gratuities date back to the colonial masters, the intent being to assist the retired officer to have a peaceful life after retirement having holistically and diligently served his state, over the years retired civil servants get paid in full while their pensions flow till they die, despite intermittent truncation of democratic systems globally the practice of full gratuities payments sustains.
Though not without struggles as a few years back in the country we have had issues of federal pensioners die while trying to access their benefits, from them on the situations of retired civil servants deteriorates to a human catastrophe, governors now for reasons best known to them have turned retirees in their states as perpetual slaves sadly after meritorious services to the state.
WHAT IGNITED THE DANBURRA STRUGGLES
Let me do justice to the past, Saidu Nasamu-led government in Kebbi State, his first tenure as governor was all smiles for Kebbi retirees as he paid in full all their gratuities and their pensions flow without hindrance. Much late in his second tenure, the tune of the music changed surprisingly but in his defense, he claimed sharp practices from the pension houses in the state whom he claimed had added ghost retirees.
As a result, he resorted to installment payments that also necessitated the formation of a standing committee saddled with the responsibility of screening retirees and their subsequent payments.
The committee is being headed by a former accountant general, a well-known man of integrity Muhammad Kwaido, the Kwaido committee transcended to the Bagudu government when the PDP government left the stage in 2015, at the early stage of the Buhari/Bagudu government.
The president invited governors with liabilities of salaries and gratuities to come forward for a bailout to settle accrued debts.
Senator Bagudu was among the governors who visited the Aso villa with a 5bn bailout demands to settle Kebbi retirees but was at the end given 7bn to fully settle the backload of gratuities, that was the beginning of the cold fight between Bagudu government and the head of Kebbi retirees pressure group Alhaji Babangida Garba Gwandu (Danburran Gwandu).
They wondered why Bagudu refused to settle all debts after collecting 7bn. They wrote severally to the government but couldn’t get him to heed their calls, to press him to pay they mobilized their members to eid praying ground to seek God’s intervention, their efforts paid off as in 2016 the Governor approved the sum of 2bn for partial payments of gratuities.
Dissatisfied with the amount, the pressure group continue ignoring threats and calls to discontinue the struggles until lately, Bagudu released 3bn again for partial payments of gratuities.
According to Danburra, late last year he was way laid by some unknown men who attempted to take him away with a motorcycle but escaped when both of them fell in a heavy sand and he ran through stacks and darkness of the bush, but he did not mention who was responsible.
These calls and promises that he will be single out and be paid in full which he declined, in his submissions he said at least 50 retirees have died waiting for their gratuities in Kebbi.
He said the crusade will fearlessly continue until all retired civil servants are paid by the government.
Haruna Aliyu Usman, A journalist writes from Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Daily News 24.
