Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has disclosed that the State Government saved over Nineteen Billion Naira (₦19bn) from the Contributory Pension Fund between June 2023 and December 2025, with the investment yielding additional returns of over Six Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Naira (₦668m) within the same period.
The governor made this known on Wednesday while receiving officials of the Katsina State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Katsina, to express their appreciation for the recent disbursement of pensions and payment of outstanding gratuities.
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Governor Radda explained that the establishment of the Pension Transition Board and the Pension Bureau was aimed at ensuring sustainable, transparent and timely payment of pensions to retirees across the state.
He noted that through prudent management of resources, the State Government was able to clear all outstanding gratuities owed to retirees as well as families of workers who died while in active service, using savings made after the payment of salaries and overhead costs.
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“This is in recognition of the sacrifices and dedication of our workers who spent their productive years serving the development of Katsina State. We owe them dignity in retirement and security for their families,” the governor said.
He assured the pensioners that their welfare remains a top priority of his administration and directed the leadership of the Union to formally submit their requests to the Office of the Head of Service for necessary consideration and action.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Surajo Abdu Daura, said the visit was to thank the Governor for his commitment to the welfare of retirees, particularly the clearance of gratuity arrears estimated at over Forty-Five Billion Naira (₦45bn). He also commended the enrollment of pensioners into the Contributory Healthcare Scheme, while appealing to the Governor to address challenges affecting its effective implementation.
The NUP Chairman further appealed for the review of uniform deductions from pensions irrespective of grade levels, renovation of the Union’s secretariat, and the provision of a vehicle to enhance the Union’s operations.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Katsina State, Comrade Nasiru Wada, who represented organised labour, praised Governor Radda’s leadership and described the clearance of gratuity backlogs for retirees and families of deceased workers as a landmark achievement.
He assured the Governor of the continued support of the NLC for his administration’s policies and programmes aimed at improving the welfare of workers and pensioners in the state. Those in attendance were senior government officials and leaders of organised labour and pensioners’ associations.
