THE KEBBI State Government has said the state’s first civilian governor, Alhaji Abubakar Garkuwan-Yauri, is not eligible for pension and severance gratuity under applicable constitutional and statutory provisions.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed-BK, stated this at a news briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, while responding to allegations by the former governor that the administration of Gov. Nasir Idris had neglected him and withheld his entitlements.
Ahmed-BK said Garkuwan-Yauri, who served as governor from January 1992 to November 1993, spent about 22 months in office, falling short of the two-year minimum tenure required under the applicable legal framework for certain retirement benefits.
He explained that the government’s position was based on constitutional and statutory provisions that had guided successive administrations in the state, rather than any deliberate attempt to deny the former governor his rights.
The commissioner recalled that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), in a letter issued in February 2010 to the then governor and Speaker of the Kebbi House of Assembly, directed the payment of pension and gratuity to governors and their deputies in line with Sections 84(5) and 124(5) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the directive applied to the immediate past governor and deputy governor who served from 1999 to 2003 and did not extend the benefits to those who held office between 1991 and 1993.
He said the 1999 Constitution did not provide for the retrospective payment of the benefits to former governors who served before its commencement.
“Successive administrations in Kebbi, long before the present one, therefore, relied on these constitutional and statutory provisions to exclude Alhaji Abubakar Garkuwan-Yauri from the payment of formal severance gratuity, pension and related entitlements,” he said.
Ahmed-BK cited the case of former Deputy Governor Suleiman Mohammed-Argungu as an illustration of how eligibility for such benefits was determined by length of service and the applicable legal provisions.
He said Mohammed-Argungu’s initial tenure of six months, from December 2002 to May 2003, did not qualify him for severance gratuity, having fallen below the required two-year threshold.
“However, during his subsequent tenure from May 2003 to February 2007, Mohammed-Argungu served for three years and nine months and became eligible for pro-rata severance gratuity and pension, following his voluntary resignation, which was not occasioned by impeachment or misconduct,” he said.
The commissioner maintained that the distinction demonstrated that eligibility for such benefits was determined by the applicable legal framework and length of service, rather than political considerations or personal preferences.
He, however, said the Idris administration had continued to extend goodwill and assistance to the former governor in spite of the legal restrictions on his eligibility for the benefits.
According to him, the governor has consistently provided assistance to Garkuwan-Yauri during major religious festivities, including Ramadan, Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Kabir.
Ahmed-BK also disclosed that the state government had sponsored the former governor on medical trips to Egypt on more than two occasions.
He said other forms of assistance had also been extended to the former governor but declined to disclose details, citing respect for his privacy.
The commissioner further stated that Idris had, in 2025, named a hall at the Government House after Garkuwan-Yauri in recognition of his contributions to the state.
He added that the governor had also facilitated the appointment of the former governor’s son as a career ambassador.
Ahmed-BK cited another instance in which, according to him, Idris approved double the initially assessed compensation for Garkuwan-Yauri in connection with a government construction project after the former governor reportedly rejected the original assessment.
He said the gesture reflected the administration’s willingness to address concerns and treat people affected by government projects with consideration.
On the allegation that the governor had failed to maintain contact with the former governor, Ahmed-BK said Idris personally contacted Garkuwan-Yauri while seeking the governorship to inform him of his ambition and request his blessing, prayers and support.
He said the former governor declined the overture, citing his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The commissioner added that senior government officials and a team of media aides led by him had visited Garkuwan-Yauri at his residence in Kaduna on more than two occasions to convey the governor’s goodwill and desire to maintain cordial relations.
According to him, the visits were intended to bridge the gap and encourage the former governor’s continued participation in the state’s affairs, but the overtures were not reciprocated.
Ahmed-BK urged the former governor to acknowledge the administration’s development projects and gestures of goodwill, particularly those benefiting Yauri, his hometown.
He said legitimate criticism was welcome in a democracy but insisted that public allegations should be supported by verifiable facts.
The commissioner said the government would have preferred not to engage the former governor publicly but considered it necessary to clarify the legal position and respond to allegations of neglect.
He reiterated that the administration remained committed to the rule of law, transparency and the welfare and dignity of the state’s elder statesmen. (NAN)
