By: Abdullahi Inuwa
The Kebbi State Government has defended its position on the pension and severance gratuity of the state’s first civilian governor, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Garkuwan Yauri, citing legal provisions that it says determine his eligibility for certain benefits.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, gave the explanation during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in response to allegations by the former governor that his entitlements had not been paid.
Ahmed maintained that the government’s position was based on constitutional and statutory provisions rather than political differences or personal animosity towards the former governor.
He explained that Garkuwan Yauri served as governor from January 1992 to November 1993, a period of approximately 22 months, which the government considers shorter than the two-year minimum tenure required under the applicable legal framework for certain severance benefits.
The commissioner cited the 1999 Constitution and the Kebbi State Pension and Gratuity for Former Governors and Deputy Governors Law No. 11 of 2004 as the legal instruments guiding the government’s position.
According to him, successive administrations have relied on these provisions in determining the former governor’s eligibility for pension and severance gratuity.
However, the government insisted that its interpretation of the law should not be taken to mean that Garkuwan Yauri has been abandoned or that his contributions to the state have been disregarded.
Ahmed reaffirmed Governor Nasir Idris’s respect for the former governor, describing him as an elder statesman whose contributions to Kebbi’s development remain recognised.
He said the current administration had continued to extend financial and material assistance to Garkuwan Yauri during festive periods.
The commissioner also disclosed that the government had sponsored medical trips for the former governor to Egypt on more than two occasions as part of its efforts to support him.
On compensation relating to a construction project, Ahmed said the amount offered to Garkuwan Yauri was doubled after the former governor reportedly rejected the initial assessment.
He further cited the naming of a hall at Government House after the former governor in 2025 as another gesture of recognition by the administration.
The commissioner also pointed to the facilitation of an appointment for the former governor’s son as a career ambassador, describing it as evidence of the government’s goodwill towards the family.
Ahmed maintained that the administration’s relationship with Garkuwan Yauri should be assessed separately from the legal questions surrounding his statutory entitlements.
The clarification comes amid public attention surrounding the former governor’s complaints over the non-payment of his entitlements, with the state government insisting that eligibility for statutory benefits must be determined by the applicable laws.
The government’s position rests on its interpretation of the relevant legal provisions, while the concerns raised by the former governor have brought renewed attention to the treatment of former political officeholders and the obligations of state governments under pension and gratuity laws.
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