The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development FENRAD has commended Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, and the state government for commencing the payment of outstanding gratuities owed to retired workers across the state and local government councils, describing the development as a major step towards restoring hope and dignity to retirees who have waited for years for their entitlements.
FENRAD said the commencement of payments is particularly significant for elderly retirees and their families, many of whom have endured prolonged financial hardship because of unpaid retirement benefits. The organisation, however, urged the government to ensure that the process remains transparent, accountable and free from political interference.
The Abia State Government has disclosed that a review of its records identified an estimated ₦61.8 billion in outstanding gratuity liabilities owed to state and local government retirees between 2001 and 2025. Government has also indicated that the liability will be addressed through a structured framework incorporated into the Medium Term Expenditure Framework covering 2026 to 2031.
FENRAD welcomed the approach, saying it demonstrated an effort by the administration to confront the accumulated financial obligation systematically rather than allowing the backlog to continue growing.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, FENRAD described the development as a welcome step towards addressing the longstanding financial burden faced by retirees who have waited for years to receive their entitlements.
According to the organisation, retirement gratuity should be viewed as a legitimate entitlement earned through years of public service, rather than as a political favour or act of government benevolence.
For many retirees, particularly elderly beneficiaries, these payments can determine their ability to meet basic needs, including medical expenses, food, housing and family obligations, FENRAD said, stressing that prolonged delays in payment could have serious social and economic consequences.
The organisation consequently commended Governor Otti for beginning the process of settling the arrears and urged the administration to maintain the momentum until every verified and legitimately entitled retiree receives payment.
While describing the commencement of the payments as encouraging, FENRAD said the credibility of the programme would ultimately depend on how transparently and efficiently the funds are distributed.
It called on the state government to publish a clear payment schedule showing the categories or batches of retirees to be paid and the expected timelines. It also urged authorities to maintain an accurate and regularly updated database of verified beneficiaries and ensure that payments are made directly to retirees without unnecessary intermediaries or unofficial agents.
FENRAD further asked the government to periodically disclose the amount released for gratuity payments, the amount actually disbursed, the number of beneficiaries who have received their entitlements and the balance still outstanding.
The organisation said older and more vulnerable retirees, particularly those who have waited the longest, should be appropriately prioritised.
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It also called for an effective complaints and verification mechanism through which retirees can report omissions, discrepancies, failed payments and other difficulties encountered during the process.
FENRAD said the reported use of a dedicated payment mechanism, alongside verification and biometric validation, could strengthen the integrity of the programme and reduce the possibility of duplicate, fraudulent or fictitious claims.
However, it cautioned that verification procedures should not themselves become a source of unnecessary delays or hardship for genuine retirees.
The organisation also called for the payment process to be protected from political interference, favouritism and unofficial charges, insisting that legitimate beneficiaries should not need political connections or personal influence to access their earned entitlements.
“Verified entitlement must determine payment, not political connection, personal influence or administrative privilege,” FENRAD said.
The organisation encouraged collaboration among the state government, pensioners associations, labour unions, civil society organisations and the media to monitor implementation. It said independent civic oversight could strengthen public confidence and help identify administrative problems early enough for corrective action.
FENRAD also stressed that clearing the existing backlog should not be the only objective. According to the organisation, Abia State must develop a predictable and sustainable system that ensures retirement benefits are properly budgeted and paid within reasonable timelines, thereby preventing another accumulation of arrears.
Given the size of the reported liability, FENRAD recommended that the government regularly publish four key figures consisting of the amount appropriated, amount released, amount disbursed and outstanding liability.
It said such a framework would give retirees, citizens and civil society organisations a simple way to objectively track the governments progress in reducing the ₦61.8 billion obligation.
FENRAD said the true measure of success would not simply be the announcement that payments had commenced, but whether the money actually reaches the retirees who are entitled to it.
Every verified beneficiary should receive what is due. Every naira released should be traceable. Every omission should have a mechanism for redress, the organisation said.
FENRAD therefore urged retirees, pensioners associations, labour groups, civil society organisations, the media and the wider public to remain constructively engaged in monitoring the implementation of the payment programme.
The organisation said that if properly implemented, the initiative could become a significant milestone in restoring dignity to Abias retired workers while also strengthening public confidence in the states financial and administrative systems.
FENRAD concluded by commending Governor Alex Otti and the Abia State Government for commencing the payments and urging the administration to sustain the process until no verified retiree is left behind.
