The Enugu State Government has approved about ₦32 billion to settle outstanding legacy gratuities owed to retirees, with an initial ₦10 billion tranche scheduled for disbursement from next week.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this on Friday, October 16, 2026, while briefing journalists at the Government House, Enugu, after the State Executive Council meeting.
Onyia, who addressed the briefing alongside the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie; and Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedett Ekwutosi Okoli, said the approval reflected Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to clearing inherited gratuity liabilities before the end of his first tenure.
He explained that the funds had been provided for in the 2026 budget approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly, stressing that the payment plan was backed by law.
“This amount of money was put in the 2026 budget and approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly. So, it is in appropriation law,” he said.
The SSG said the government had suspended the existing gratuity verification process in December 2025 and established a committee to review records dating back to 2000, with a view to determining the actual outstanding liabilities.
According to him, the ₦32 billion approval was based on the outcome of the verification exercise, which examined retirees’ records and supporting documents to establish legitimate claims.
He disclosed that the first ₦10 billion would be released to commence payments, while subsequent tranches would follow until the verified liabilities were fully settled.
Onyia said the administration was determined to clear the inherited debt before leaving office rather than transfer the burden to its successor.
The SSG also disclosed that outstanding gratuity liabilities at the local government level exceeded ₦10 billion, adding that Governor Mbah had approved a meeting of the Economic Council to review the debts and facilitate payments to local government retirees.
He said the government hoped to enable eligible retirees at the local government level to begin receiving their gratuities soon, alongside their counterparts in the state service.
Clarifying the scope of the exercise, Onyia said the current payment plan focused on legacy gratuities, while the government had already commenced the settlement of outstanding pension obligations following the verification of eligible beneficiaries.
“The gratuity owed to every retiree across the board from 2000 will be paid,” he said.
The SSG further revealed that the verification committee, which he chaired, had reviewed the records of 66,783 persons across workforce and pension-gratuity categories.
He explained that the exercise was necessary to prevent fraudulent claims and ensure that public funds were paid only to legitimate beneficiaries.
However, he urged retirees who had concerns about the verification results to submit their complaints to the committee for further review.
Onyia said clearing the inherited gratuity liabilities was a significant step towards preventing the continued accumulation of unpaid retirement benefits and ensuring that future administrations would not inherit similar burdens.
He reaffirmed the Mbah administration’s commitment to settling verified legacy obligations, sustaining payments to eligible pensioners and establishing a more sustainable pension system in Enugu State.
