Bauchi State Inaugurates Pension Board to Drive Comprehensive Reform
By Abdulwahab Muhammad
In a significant move to deepen pension reform and secure the future of retired workers in Bauchi State, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Aminu Hammayo, on behalf of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, inaugurated the newly reconstituted Bauchi State Pension Board on Thursday.
The inauguration, held at the Government House, marks another bold step by the Bala Mohammed administration to sanitize the pension system, ensure transparency, and deliver sustainable benefits to retirees across the state and local government service.
Alhaji Hammayo emphasized the critical importance of the board’s role in translating the government’s reform agenda into practical and long-lasting solutions. He noted that the creation of a formal and independent board is a departure from past approaches that often left pensioners in limbo and the system plagued by inefficiencies.
“This administration has inherited a backlog of unresolved pension matters, including non-compliance with statutory deductions, poor record keeping, and lack of coordination,” Hammayo stated. “We are determined to change this narrative through a robust reform framework.”
The new board members are drawn from relevant sectors and include representatives of labor unions, retired workers, the Ministry of Finance, Civil Service Commission, and the Local Government Pension Commission. Their mandate is to implement the recommendations of the comprehensive report submitted by the Committee on Pension Reform, which Governor Bala Mohammed approved earlier this year.
According to the SSG, the Governor remains committed to resolving the pension crisis through:
- Accurate data capturing and verification
- Regular remittance of deductions
- Digitization of pension records
- Timely payment of entitlements
He urged the board to justify the confidence reposed in them and serve with integrity, dedication, and sensitivity to the plight of retirees who have served the state diligently.
“Our retirees deserve dignity. The years they spent in service should not end in suffering and neglect,” he added.
The inauguration of the pension board is coming at a time when the Bauchi State Government has made remarkable progress in infrastructure, health, education, and governance reform. The pension reform is expected to complement these achievements by restoring hope and justice to the aging workforce.
The event ended with a charge to the newly sworn-in members to hit the ground running and make history as champions of pension justice in Bauchi State.