{"id":787707,"date":"2026-07-08T06:54:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T06:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/787707\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T06:54:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T06:54:27","slug":"eno-pays-n81bn-pension-gratuity-in-three-years-surpasses-predecessors-last-four-year-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/787707\/","title":{"rendered":"Eno pays N81bn pension, gratuity in three years, surpasses predecessor\u2019s last four-year record"},"content":{"rendered":"

Governor Umo Eno\u2019s administration in Akwa Ibom State has paid N81.06 billion in pensions and gratuities to civil servants in its first three years, exceeding the amount paid during the last four years of former Governor Udom Emmanuel\u2019s administration, a PREMIUM TIMES review of\u00a0Akwa Ibom State\u2019s audited financial statements<\/a>\u00a0has shown.<\/p>\n

The review of the state\u2019s audited accounts for 2023, 2024 and 2025 indicates that Mr Eno\u2019s government disbursed N22.28 billion in 2023, N27.79 billion in 2024 and N30.98 billion in 2025, bringing total payments to N81.06 billion.<\/p>\n

By comparison, audited financial statements for Mr Emmanuel\u2019s last four years in office show that his administration paid a combined N70.07 billion between 2019 and 2022 comprising N16.99 billion in 2019, N15.67 billion in 2020, N16.54 billion in 2021 and N20.87 billion in 2022.<\/p>\n

The N81.06 billion paid by the current administration is therefore N10.99 billion higher than the amount paid during the final four years of the previous government.<\/p>\n

The findings come against the backdrop of years of agitation by retirees over unpaid pensions and gratuities in Akwa Ibom.<\/p>\n

\"PT<\/a><\/p>\n

Outstanding liabilities shrink\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a02025 audited financial statements<\/a>\u00a0also indicate that the state\u2019s outstanding pension and gratuity obligations stood at N38.02 billion as of 31 December 2025.<\/p>\n

The liabilities comprise N14.35 billion in gratuities for civil servants, N3.66 billion in unpaid pensions for civil servants and N20 billion representing estimates of future pension obligations not yet due.<\/p>\n

The outstanding liabilities are significantly lower than the N111 billion backlog of gratuities, pensions and other retirees\u2019 emoluments which Mr Eno said he inherited when he assumed office in May 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remain on track to liquidate the backlog hopefully before the end of the first term,\u201d the governor has repeatedly said.<\/p>\n

Revenue context\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pension payments were made during a period of unprecedented revenue inflows to the state.<\/p>\n

PREMIUM TIMES recently\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0that Akwa Ibom generated N2.53 trillion in revenue within the first 32 months of the Eno administration, an amount that exceeded the total revenue received during Mr Emmanuel\u2019s eight years in office.<\/p>\n

The higher revenue base provides important context for comparing expenditure patterns between the two administrations.<\/p>\n

Years of protests\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pension and gratuity payments were among the most contentious issues during Mr Emmanuel\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n

PREMIUM TIMES\u00a0reported\u00a0<\/a>that in July 2016, hundreds of pensioners and retirees marched through Uyo during Mr Emmanuel\u2019s birthday to protest unpaid pensions and gratuities. Some of the protesters were later arrested and charged for unlawful protest. The case lingered until 2018 when the court finally\u00a0dismissed<\/a>\u00a0it in favour of the protesters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The agitation continued in subsequent years. In April 2021, widows and next of kin of late primary school teachers\u00a0protested<\/a>\u00a0the government\u2019s failure to keep its promise regarding gratuity and pension payments. It continued a year after.\u00a0In August 2022<\/a>, next of kin of deceased primary school teachers protested unpaid death benefits, gratuities and pension-related entitlements, accusing the state government of failing to clear longstanding obligations dating back several years.<\/p>\n

Retirees acknowledge improvement\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Benson Benjamin, who has led several protests by retired primary school teachers and next of kin over unpaid entitlements and was among those arrested and charged in court over unlawful protest, said payments have become more consistent under the current administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmo Eno\u2019s administration is far better than the previous administration in terms of payment of unpaid pensions and gratuities of living teachers and next of kin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they miss paying in a particular month, the following month it will be paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Benjamin said the government has also introduced a humanitarian approach by giving priority to retirees with serious medical conditions even where they are not yet due for gratuity payment.<\/p>\n

He, however, noted that retired primary school teachers are still owed pension arrears accumulated over several months dating back to 2015.<\/p>\n

According to him, while gratuity payments have progressed from retirees of 2011 to those of 2014, the release of funds for outstanding pension arrears remains slow.<\/p>\n

Primary school retirees still lag\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Chairman of the Forum of Retired Primary School Teachers and Next of Kin, Felix Cookey, also acknowledged improvements but said primary school retirees continue to face unique challenges because of their large numbers.<\/p>\n

He said pension payments are now regular across sectors, while gratuity payments for civil servants and secondary school retirees have advanced to those who retired in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n

For retired primary school teachers, however, gratuity payments have only reached those who retired in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor has done his best when you compare it with the last administration on retirees\u2019 emolument. This administration is far ahead,\u201d Mr Cookey told PREMIUM TIMES.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe started clearing gratuities from 2011 and has reached 2014. The challenge is that the amount released monthly to the primary school sector is inadequate because the number of retirees is far higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that the major unresolved issue remains unpaid pension arrears owed to some retired primary school teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor has already approved payment, but the money has not been released. Many retirees are dying while waiting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Cookey also credited the administration with paying outstanding 7.5 per cent contributory pension refunds, implementing the N27,500 pension increase arising from the previous minimum wage adjustment and settling other outstanding benefits affecting retired primary school teachers.<\/p>\n

Local government workers not left behind<\/p>\n

The President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in Akwa Ibom State, Anestina Iweh who in 2021 had\u00a0publicly refuted\u00a0<\/a>the claims by Mr Emmanuel\u2019s administration in 2021 that local government workers\u2019 allowances were cleared also said gratuity payments have improved significantly under Mr Eno\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:\u00a0Umo Eno Campaign Organisation\u2019s response to \u2018Destruction of Nigeria by the Judiciary\u2019 advertorial<\/a><\/p>\n

She said when Mr Eno assumed office, gratuity payments for local government workers had only reached retirees up to September 2014.<\/p>\n

According to her, payments have since progressed to cover retirees up to 2022, while some who retired in 2023 have also started receiving their gratuities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs of now, there are no gratuity arrears in the local government.\u00a0Promotion arrears and leave grant arrears have also been cleared,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Labour backs government\u2019s efforts\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Sunny James, also commended the administration\u2019s handling of retirees\u2019 welfare.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis administration of Governor Umo Eno is committed to workers, especially in the gradual settlement of outstanding gratuities, which has brought relief and renewed hope to many retirees,\u201d Mr James said on 1 May during the 2026 Workers\u2019 Day celebration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Governor Umo Eno\u2019s administration in Akwa Ibom State has paid N81.06 billion in pensions and gratuities to civil…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":787708,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[278340,45,49,48,133,278341,6107,131,132,278342,278343,278344],"class_list":["post-787707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-akwa-ibom","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-finance","tag-gratuities","tag-pensions","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-primary-school-teachers","tag-umo-eno","tag-unlawful-protest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/787708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}