The Taraba State government has officially approved the disbursement of gratuity and death benefits for civil servants who retired between January and December 2014. In a statement released by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Douglas Kisaba, the government announced a mandatory verification exercise scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
This move aims to settle long standing debts to retirees and the families of deceased contributors who have waited over a decade for their entitlements.
To facilitate the payment, retirees must present several documents at the Ministry of Finance, including their National Identity Cards, letters of first and last appointment, and gratuity computation sheets. For deceased beneficiaries, next of kin are required to provide a Letter of Administration to claim the death benefits.
While the total financial allocation for this exercise was not disclosed in the official brief, the government has emphasized that this verification is the final step toward ensuring a timely and efficient electronic transfer of funds.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Taraba State, Comrade El-Nathan Auta Bila, has commended Governor Agbu Kefas for the approval but urged the administration to expand the gesture. The union is specifically calling for the inclusion of local government retirees and the implementation of the N32,000 and N70,000 minimum wage pension adjustments.
As the 2027 election cycle approaches, union leaders noted that the consistent fulfillment of these pension obligations remains a critical factor for the state’s large and influential voting bloc of retirees.
