Kwara Government Establishes Neutral Technical Committees to Audit State Gratuity Records

The Kwara State Government has inaugurated two independent committees composed of technocrats and labour representatives to verify and clean up existing gratuity records for state and local government pensioners. The move aims to ensure that retirees receive their entitlements promptly and transparently, based on their year of retirement from the civil service.

In a statement issued on Friday in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, announced that the eight-member committee for state gratuities will be chaired by the State Auditor-General, while the Local Government Auditor-General will head the committee handling local government gratuities.

Dr. Nuru explained that the local government committee also includes representatives from the Retired Local Government Civil Servants Association and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

“The primary objective of these committees is to ensure the accuracy, transparency, and proper compilation of all outstanding state and local government gratuities for eligible pensioners, in preparation for automated bank transfer payments,” the statement read.

The committees’ terms of reference include:

• Requesting and reviewing detailed annual gratuity schedules of all outstanding liabilities from the pension boards.

• Verifying the accuracy and completeness of the records.

• Confirming the eligibility of pensioners through the PSN Number, Pension Number, KWSSRA SSID database, and National Identification Number (NIN).

• Reconciling all records and figures with existing government documents.

• Prioritising payments from the earliest outstanding year in line with available funds.

• Ensuring full accountability and audit readiness in every stage of the process.

Members of the committees include representatives of retired permanent secretaries, the Retired Civil Servants Association, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and certified accountants from ICAN and ANAN. Mrs. Iyabo Adebayo will serve as the Secretary of the State Committee, while Mrs. Amina Ahmed will serve as Secretary for the Local Government Committee.

The initiative, according to the government, underscores its commitment to transparency, accountability, and fairness in the management of pensioners’ benefits across Kwara State.