One sector that suffered neglect corruption and malpractice during the recent past administration in Kano State under Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje was the pension .
Yes ,I use to frequent the Kano state pension Trustee Funds Office in Sokoto road to get update on pension and gratuity payment to the extent that I was well familiar with the former Chairman of the Board .
They always complain of lack of funds and non remittance of the deductions made from workers monthly salaries by various state ministries ,Agencies and Departments.
NLC and the Nigerian Union of pensioners became my friends .As my former working place NTA Kano use to refer any report in that aspect to me for coverage .To be sincere and frank the situation was very bad .
Retirees were always seen begging for even a part payment of their gratuity to settle their pressing needs ,even though pension was regularly paid on monthly basis immediately after retirement.
This situation put so much pressure on retired workers who must of them are aged unlike me who leave service at less than forty .
I have to use this opportunity to salut the recent effort of governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State for providing additional five billion naira ,beside the six billion provided last year to settle the pension backlog.
This is commendable as many families will exprience better life , many failed to marry up their daughters ,pay rents,School fees and hospital bills due to non payment of their entitlements after spending morethan 30 years serving their father land .
Governor Abba please continue to provide more funds for pensions,it will sanitize the wealth of Kano State and make your government more impactful .
Abba Hamisu Sani is the National Coordinator Society for Patriotic Journalism.
Email : timebasetv@gmail.com
