They gave their youth to Kwara State. They spent decades serving in classrooms, hospitals, ministries, and offices across this state. They retired with hope—hope that the gratuities they were promised would allow them to live with dignity, build the homes they dreamed of, and enjoy the fruit of their labor. Instead, they wait. And wait. And die waiting. This is not governance. This is cruelty disguised as bureaucracy.
Archbishop Amoo’s message to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq during a recent church program was not just a sermon—it was a moral mirror held up to leadership in Kwara State. His words on the backlog of unpaid gratuities did not only echo within the church walls; they pierced the conscience of a people long burdened by neglect. For once, truth found a pulpit, and the man in power could not look away. The question now is: will he act, or will he add his name to the roll call of leaders who chose politics over people?
A retiree yet to receive their gratuity is like a kidnapped victim awaiting ransom—helpless, abandoned, and forgotten. I urge Governor AbdulRazaq to summon the courage to act and take a cue from Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum. In 2021, Governor Zulum reflected on his responsibility late one night and realized that leaving the backlog unresolved would weigh on his conscience. Upon resuming office the following day, he approved N20 billion to clear all gratuities, bringing relief and joy to retirees and earning widespread praise. He later reported that the act gave him profound fulfillment. That is leadership. That is humanity.
Governor AbdulRazaq deserves recognition for paying some of the backlog left by former Governors Dr. Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed. No one denies that. But recognition is not exoneration. With increased allocations now available to the state, he has the capacity to completely eliminate the remaining gratuities owed by the Kwara State Government. Clearing these arrears would not only honor retirees but also stimulate the state’s economy. Retirees would spend their money on long-delayed projects. Construction would boom. Market women would smile again. Tax revenue would increase. This is basic economics. Pay the people, and prosperity follows.
Archbishop Amoo did not place blame on the current government alone. In fact, he faulted Dr. Saraki and Alhaji Ahmed directly—in their presence—highlighting that today’s leadership has the chance to act decisively and close this shameful chapter. Retirees have reported that payments have slowed to a painful trickle. Some are receiving only fractions of what they are owed—N20,000 out of N9 million in some cases. Imagine that. You worked for 35 years, and they hand you N20,000 and tell you to go home. Is this what we have become?
Many of these retirees dedicated their entire working lives to public service with the expectation that their gratuities would allow them to retire with dignity. Instead, they are begging. They are borrowing. They are dying in poverty while the government they served continues to function as if their suffering does not exist.
Finally, I call on the youth of Kwara State to stand with retirees during this critical time. We all have elders in our families who are suffering—fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts who gave everything to this state and now have nothing. Yet some among us have chosen to trade loyalty for a paltry sum, becoming political tools rather than defenders of truth. Enough. It is time to adjust our priorities, advocate for justice, and stand for the best interests of our state, not for politicians who will forget us the moment we stop being useful.
Governor AbdulRazaq, the ball is in your court. History is watching. The retirees are watching. God is watching. Do the right thing. Pay them. Pay them now.
Jamiu Sakele is a member of APC, Adewole Ward.