Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has inaugurated a new Pension Committee tasked with ensuring fairness, transparency, and timely settlement of arrears owed to retired civil servants in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Auwal Tukur, performed the inauguration on Monday at the State Secretariat Complex in Yola on behalf of the governor.
Tukur said the administration remains committed to easing the financial burden of retirees who have faced delays in receiving their entitlements.
As part of the renewed effort, Fintiri approved ?8 billion for the payment of pension liabilities. Of this, ?5 billion is allocated to state pensioners and ?3 billion to local government retirees across the 21 LGAs. He noted that payments would follow a ‘first retired, first served’ system to prevent favoritism.
The SSG commended the work of the previous committee and expressed confidence in the new team chaired by Engineer Benson Jelani.
‘The selection of the committee members was based on their competence and proven track records,’ Tukur said. ‘We trust that under Engr. Jelani’s leadership, this committee will perform with diligence and integrity.’
In his remarks, Jelani thanked the governor for the trust placed in the committee and pledged to carry out its duties with fairness and accountability.
‘We assure His Excellency and the good people of Adamawa that we will execute our duties without fear or favour,’ he said.
The committee’s reconstitution comes as calls for pension reform grow nationwide, with many states still burdened by large outstanding pension liabilities.