Sokoto retirees lament neglect, demand pension review

Retired civil servants in Sokoto State have expressed deep frustration over decades of neglect and poor treatment, particularly among local government and LGA pensioners, calling on the state government to urgently address their plight.

Speaking to our correspondent, Malam Muhammad Garba, the Secretary of the Sokoto State Retired Civil Servants Association, lamented that the state’s pension system has remained stagnant for over two decades, leaving thousands of retirees impoverished despite constitutional provisions mandating periodic increases.

He further explained that the state government under the administration of Aliyu Wamakko had, through bad advice, withdrawn the state workers from the national pension contributory scheme, which he explained was enlisted by the administration of Attahiru Bafarawa.

“Pensions in Sokoto State have not been increased for over 23 years. The last increment was during the Bafarawa administration, when it was raised to just N4,000,” Garba said.

According to him, the pension structure in the state has failed to reflect successive national minimum wage adjustments of N18,000, N30,000, and the current N70,000.

“Those who retired before these salary structures are still earning pensions based on outdated scales. There have been three constitutional pension reviews, yet Sokoto has not implemented any,” he added.

Garba highlighted that while the state operates under the National Contributory Pension Scheme, poor implementation has worsened the situation, especially for local government retirees.

Some workers who retired five or six years ago have not even been enrolled for verification, let alone gratuity payments. This is unconstitutional,” he noted, citing Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that pension increases every five years or whenever salaries are reviewed.

The Secretary of the Sokoto State Retired Civil Servants Association, who though acknowledged that the current administration inherited a backlog of gratuity liabilities hailed Governor Ahmed Aliyu who has started clearing the arrears from 2015 up to 2020, with payments still ongoing.

However, he urged the government to prioritise pension increments and address the concerns of local government retirees who are most affected.

On the status of pension unions in the state, Garba distanced his association from the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, describing it as “ineffective.”

“We were part of the NUP, but we left. We are now an independent body working with the National Human Rights Commission to protect our members’ rights,” he disclosed.

Garba emphasised that   the Sokoto State Retired Civil Servants Association was legally formed in line with constitutional provisions and international human rights conventions that guarantees freedom of association.

He cautioned that while they were not blaming the present government for the problems inherited, but noted that failure to act decisively would attract criticisms.

“If they refuse to address it, we will speak out because pensioners in Sokoto are suffering,” he declared

“That is the reason the association is now calling on Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration to implement the long-overdue pension increases, pay outstanding gratuities, and reform the local government pension structure to reflect present realities,” he urged.