Local government councils in Enugu State are set to begin settling outstanding gratuities owed to retired workers, with 10 per cent of their monthly allocations to be dedicated to clearing the arrears dating back to 2000.
The Deputy Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Enugu State, Hon. Ferdinand Ukwueze, disclosed this on Monday, October 19, 2026, while briefing Government House correspondents after the 40th meeting of the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, chaired by Governor Peter Mbah.
Ukwueze, who is also Chairman of Igboeze South Local Government Area, said the decision was taken to align the councils with the state government’s ongoing effort to settle inherited gratuity obligations and improve the welfare of retirees.
He described the move as a historic step, saying the local governments had resolved to join the state government in addressing the financial hardship faced by former public servants awaiting their entitlements.
“One of the high points of today’s meeting is that, in a very historic manner, the local government system in Enugu State has taken the bold step of aligning with the state’s policy, particularly with respect to alleviating the hardship of the masses.
“In line with the payment of the legacy gratuity that the state government embarked on a couple of days ago, the local governments have also decided at the Economic Planning Commission meeting to step into that arrangement to make sure that we clear all the gratuity inherited by us,” he said.
According to him, the 10 per cent allocation will be set aside monthly from October until the outstanding gratuities are fully paid.
“Beginning from this month, we are going to key into what the state government has started implementing already by making sure that we offset those debts.
“The decision is that starting from this month, 10 per cent of our monthly allocation will be dedicated to that responsibility until it is cleared. So, once we start it, there is no going back. Every worker who worked in our local governments will have access to this entitlement,” Ukwueze stated.
He clarified that the outstanding obligations cover more than 25 years, with arrears dating back to 2000, and assured retirees that the councils were committed to clearing the backlog.
“For clarity, the arrears are from the year 2000, but, as I said, we are going to clear all the over 25-year legacy gratuities,” he reiterated.
Ukwueze said the initiative was designed to bring relief to retired local government workers who had devoted their productive years to public service.
“The essence of it, once again, is to put smiles on the faces of the masses, especially those of them who spent their youthfulness serving the public in our various local government areas,” he said.
The announcement follows the Enugu State Executive Council’s approval, about a week earlier, of more than ₦32 billion for the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to retired state government workers, whose arrears also date back to 2000.
Ukwueze also reaffirmed the local governments’ support for the Mbah administration and pledged continued collaboration with security agencies to maintain peace across the state.
“Enugu State is safe. Enugu State is peaceful. And we will continue to partner with our governor and security agencies to keep it so,” he added.
