Civil servants across Borno State have expressed excitement following the payment of their leave grants and outstanding promotional benefits covering 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The payments, which began reflecting in workers’ bank accounts on Thursday, continued through the weekend following Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s directive for the immediate settlement of the outstanding entitlements.
The approval followed a meeting held on Monday, August 17, between Governor Zulum and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The meeting came after the Office of the Head of Service submitted a proposal on outstanding workers’ entitlements for the governor’s consideration.
Following the meeting, Governor Zulum directed the immediate implementation of promotional benefits for civil servants for the three-year period, as well as the payment of leave grants to eligible workers for the 2025 session.
The governor also directed a review of salary arrears owed workers in secondary and tertiary institutions, with a view to commencing implementation in September 2026.
Organised labour welcomed the development, describing the prompt payment as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
NLC Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Mohammed Baba, commended Governor Zulum for what they described as the swift release of the payments.
The labour leaders said the payments reached workers’ accounts less than a week after the governor issued the directive.
They also commended the administration for what they described as its consistent payment of monthly salaries, pensions and other workers’ entitlements.
According to them, Governor Zulum has remained responsive to demands presented by organised labour, describing him as a “listening governor” committed to the welfare of civil servants.
Since assuming office in 2019, the Zulum administration has prioritised the welfare of serving and retired workers, including efforts to settle inherited pension and gratuity liabilities.
The administration released N8 billion to clear pension and gratuity liabilities accrued between 2019 and 2021 for retired primary school teachers and other civil servants.
It also released N5.8 billion to settle outstanding gratuity liabilities owed to families of deceased civil servants and pensioners, while N200 million is reportedly allocated monthly for the payment of outstanding gratuities.
Other interventions by the administration include the implementation of a health insurance scheme and measures aimed at improving workers’ transportation and general welfare.
Governor Zulum has repeatedly pledged to ensure that outstanding workers’ entitlements are settled before the end of his tenure.