12/06/2026
OVER N20 BILLION PENSION AND GRATUITY PAID IN PLATEAU STATE
… LG Staff Pension Board boss, Helen Dabup mni, urges LG chairmen to review gratuity remittances upwards.. About N40 billion backlog yet to settled
… Pension presently hundred per cent up to date
By Yakubu S. Ajala
Over 20 billion Naira has been paid in pension and gratuity from the year 2023 to 2026 to pensioners cutting across the 17 Local Government Areas in Plateau State.
Similarly, the gratuity of deceased pensioners amounting to N1.15 billion has been hundred percent fully paid, while part payment of gratuity to existing and deceased pensioners is over N1.969 billion.
The Executive Secretary of Plateau State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Mrs. Helen Edward Dabup mni, revealed this in an exclusive interview with THE EXPRESS JOURNAL magazine in her office at the Joseph Gomwalk State Secretariat Jos, Plateau State recently.
Giving the breakdown on the journey so far, since she took over the mantle of leadership in 2023 to date, Mrs Dapup mni, disclosed that over N23.4 billion has been disbursed to pensioners to ensure regular payments of monthly pension, gratuity, and ongoing part payment of gratuity to existing and deceased pensioners in the state.
She expantiate with details accurate figures that payment of pension to 17 Local Government Councils from 2023 to date paid the sum of # 20,318,698,679.51, (Twenty billion, three hundred and eighteen million, six hundred and ninety eight thousand, six hundred and seventy nine naira, fifty eight kobo).
For the payment of gratuity to existing and deceased Pensioners in full (100%), paid #1,150,000,000.00 (one billion, one hundred and fifty million, no kobo).
Moving to the part payment of gratuity to existing and deceased Pensioners, paid #1,969,900,555.59 (one billion, nine hundred and six nine million, nine hundred thousand, five hundred and fifty five naira, fifty nine kobo).
This gives grand total of the sum of #23,438,599,235.10, (Twenty three billion, four hundred and thirty eight million, five hundred and ninety nine thousand, two hundred and thirty five naira, ten kobo only).
While appreciating Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for the confidence reposed in her to operate freely and backing with the release of over N1 billion in order to give succor to senior citizens in the state, she recalled that when she took over in 2023, she discovered lack of consistency in the payment of pensions, whereby the pensioners were neglected and left at the mercy of God, couple with absence of authentic record keeping of transactions.
She noted that the change brought about by the concern and commitment of the present administration in the state has gone a long way in positively impacting the lives of the pensioners, with many of them battling to pay for expensive drugs on virtually daily basis as a result of one ailment or the other, especially diseases like diabetes, cancer, trauma and depression amongst many too numerous suffered by both men and women despite financial predicaments.
She said the pathetic situation has moved her into taking care and giving preferential support to the sick, noting that no matter how little the amount given, it could save life rather than allowing the elder citizens to die under either trauma or depression.
With the testimonies received from her encounter with hundreds of pensioners, the Executive Secretary disclosed that the support received for the part payment of gratuity has gone a long way in assisting the retirees to better manage their lives, and enabled them to help their children and grandchildren one way or the other in addition to expenses on medicaments.
She further disclosed that the core mandate of the board is to get money and disburse same immediately and accordingly to the beneficiaries by ensuring that no one is left behind because an injury to one is an injury to all as health challenges are enormous, besides, health is wealth.
With great concern, the Executive Secretary stated that "l feel happy when I receive reports that pensioners always received alerts. I can only be biased in favour of pensioners suffering from ill-health, especially those on weekly dialysis, hence prompt payment of pension and gratuity cannot be swept under the carpet.
“Therefore, I am making a passionate appeal to Local Government Chairmen in the state to temper justice with mercy for an upward review of the monthly remittance towards the payment of gratuity, saying, her heart bleeds when she cannot adequately meet up with the numerous demands due to the level of poverty in respect of economic predicament of the country."
"I'm constrained because the money received is limited, passionate about the sick ones of which many are dying in silence, it's sad, painful and heartbreaking", she emphasized.
Mrs Dabup mni further lamented that the backlog of over N40 billion is worrisome and prayed for divine intervention from the Lord through support from the three tiers of government.
The Executive Secretary, a retiree from the National Assembly Abuja, further disclosed that the Plateau State Local Government Staff Pension Board, like any in the states of the federation, was established by Edict Number 27 of 1987, which officially took effect in 1988, under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, saddled with the responsibility of meeting the payment of pension and gratuity with support from the three tiers of government.
Aunty Helen Dabup mni, also a former Deputy Rector and Acting Rector of Plateau State Polytechnic Barkin Ladi, expressed deep appreciation to the Government of Plateau State through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the commitment to the local government chairmen in the state and indeed the entire three tiers of government, Management and staff of the organization for the tremendous support.
