Nigeria, May 2 -- The Abia State Government has set aside more than N10 billion in its 2026 budget to begin clearing gratuities owed to retirees, some of which have been outstanding for over two decades.



At the 2026 Workers Day event in Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti disclosed that validated beneficiaries would begin to receive payments in the upcoming weeks. Officials assert that verification of outstanding claims is ongoing and that modalities for phased payment have already been decided upon.



The ruling comes after months of debate on an earlier contract between the state and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, which called for retirees to give up a portion of their benefits in return for payment of pension arrears. That setup got a...