Mkpoikana Udoma
Abuja — Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has affirmed his administration’s commitment to fiscal discipline and workers’ welfare, revealing that his government has paid over N60 billion in pension and gratuity arrears since assuming office, part of the N98 billion backlog inherited from previous administrations dating back to 2012.
Speaking in an event to mark the 2025 Public Service Week in Uyo, the Governor, represented by Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Emem Bob, said the state remains focused on clearing the outstanding liabilities as revenues improve.
He said, “We have so far paid arrears of pensions and gratuities of over N60 billion out of the N98 billion we inherited from past administrations dating back to 2012, and stand poised to liquidate the backlog as more funds become available,” he said.
This major fiscal outlay, observers say, is among the most aggressive arrears-settlement programmes currently undertaken by a subnational government in Nigeria.
Governor Eno tied this expenditure to his administration’s ARISE Agenda, a development blueprint anchored on economic inclusion, reform, and human capital growth.
He described the civil service as the ‘engine room of government’, and stressed that a smart and agile workforce is central to his governance objectives.
“We believe that for our civil service to align with the times for better service delivery, it must leverage technology. So, I am deeply heartened by the choice of this year’s theme: Leveraging Technology for a Smart and Agile Civil Service,” he stated.
The Governor disclosed that his administration’s digital reforms have led to the discovery of over 2,000 ghost workers and another 3,000 individuals fraudulently receiving pensions, following the rollout of verification portals and tech-enabled payroll audits.
“Since we came in a little over two years ago, we have intentionally and strategically deployed technology in the running of our government business. We went ahead to create the first stand-alone Ministry devoted to Science and Digital Economy.
“We set up various portals, the Arise Employment Portal, the Verification Portals, which since they were launched, have discovered and tracked over 2,000 ghost workers and another 3,000 persons who were fraudulently receiving pensions.”
Governor Eno also revealed that payroll harmonisation across the state, primary school, and local government civil services has eliminated multiple salary collections by individuals, a fiscal leak that had plagued the system for years.
“This has made the system run efficiently and professionally, and I want to thank the Head of Service again for ensuring strict compliance of this approach,” he added.
In fulfilment of his campaign promise to inject new hands into the civil service, the Governor said his administration has approved the recruitment of 3,000 new workers, urging prospective applicants to apply only through the State’s employment portal.
