Kano Pension Board Clears N21bn Liability, Fagge Accuses Ganduje Govt of Mismanagement

|By Babatunji Wusu-

-Pension Board Clears Over N21 Billion in Debt Under Yusuf’s Government
– Fagge Alleges Pension Mismanagement, Arbitrary Deductions Under Ganduje

The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Pension Board, Habu Muhammad Fagge, has revealed that the board has made significant progress in clearing N48.6 billion pension and gratuity debt inherited from the previous administration led by Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.

Speaking in an interview, Fagge disclosed that under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, over N21 billion in liabilities has already been settled within just two years in office.

He described the state of the pension board at the time of the current administration’s takeover as “deeply troubling,” alleging that pensioners were subjected to irregular and unexplained deductions, with some losing as much as half of their monthly entitlements.

“At one point, pensioners receiving N6,000 had N3,000 deducted without explanation. We couldn’t find any clear formula for the deductions,” he said.

Fagge further accused the Ganduje-led government of extensive borrowing from the pension fund, which, according to him, plunged the board into serious financial distress.

He explained that the turning point came when Governor Yusuf approved direct deductions from the source for pension remittances, which helped restore regular pension payments and enabled the board to achieve 100% monthly disbursement.

“We inherited N48.6 billion in liabilities and also had to remit N75 billion levied on local governments and some MDAs,” he noted.
“Despite this, we’ve managed to settle N16 billion so far, with another N5 billion scheduled for disbursement soon.”

Fagge commended Governor Yusuf’s commitment to pensioners’ welfare, stressing that the governor took responsibility for debts he did not create, purely out of empathy for the suffering retirees.