Pensioners in Adamawa State have kicked off a long-anticipated verification exercise that marks the first step toward receiving their outstanding pension arrears amounting to N8 billion.
The exercise, which commenced on Tuesday, is expected to last for one week and is being conducted under the supervision of the state government.
According to Ahmed Zambwa, the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State Pensioners Union, the verification is crucial to ensuring transparency and proper disbursement of funds. He expressed confidence that once the process is concluded, the government will immediately release the long-overdue payments.
“Payment is expected to begin immediately after the verification exercise which commences today. We are optimistic that Governor Fintiri will make good his promise once the verification is over,” Zambwa assured in a press interview.
It will be recalled that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri pledged about three months ago to clear the backlog of pension arrears worth N8 billion—with N5 billion allocated to state pensioners and N3 billion earmarked for local government retirees.
Initially, pensioners had grown restless over the delay in fulfilling the pledge. However, the ongoing verification has reignited hope among retirees who have been eagerly awaiting financial relief.
If the process goes as planned, retirees across Adamawa State may soon start smiling to the bank after years of waiting.
