Nasarawa pensioners begin enforcement of ₦4bn court order

By Edwin Philip, Lafia A group of 601 retired civil servants in Nasarawa State has commenced enforcement of a court order directing the recovery of over ₦4 billion in outstanding gratuities and other entitlements owed them by the state government. The pensioners, under the aegis of the Concerned Group of Nasarawa State Pensioners, secured a consent judgment against the state government in 2020 over the alleged non-payment of their retirement benefits.

Their spokespersons, Mr Simon Auna and Mallam Usman Adamu, disclosed the development while speaking with journalists in Lafia on Friday. The group said it subsequently obtained an order from the National Industrial Court, Makurdi, awarding 25 per cent post-judgment interest on the judgment sum, bringing the total amount being sought to over ₦4 billion.

According to the pensioners, following the alleged failure of the state government to comply with the judgment, their lawyers approached the Senior District Court in Makurdi, presided over by Justice Ada Jack. The court subsequently directed six commercial banks to release funds belonging to the Nasarawa State Government, amounting to over ₦4 billion, for payment to the affected retirees.

In a move to enforce the order, the pensioners’ legal team, accompanied by court bailiffs, visited some branches of one of the commercial banks in Makurdi, Benue State, where they removed some movable properties. Speaking on the development, counsel to the pensioners, Mrs Doofan Sefa-Aii, said the legal team would continue to operate within the law to ensure full recovery of the funds owed the retirees.

Another counsel, Mr Awo Matthew, appealed to the Nasarawa State Government and the banks involved to allow the legal process to take its course, considering the hardship the pensioners had endured while pursuing payment of their entitlements. However, the Director of Corporate Services and Arbitration at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice, Mr Usman Aliyu, said the state government had taken all necessary legal steps, including filing a motion for a stay of execution of the court order.

Meanwhile, Adamu, who is the group’s Lafia Local Government Chairman, and Auna, its Legal Adviser, described the court order as a significant breakthrough after years of seeking payment of their entitlements. They said the development had renewed their hope of recovering the outstanding benefits. The pensioners reaffirmed their determination to pursue their entitlements through lawful means until the matter was resolved.