By Lamara Garba Azare
They carried chalk, files, and stethoscopes in their youth. Today, they carry pain, waiting for gratuities that never came. Dr. Ali Pate says their waiting must end, and 2027 could be their dawn.
For more than a decade, thousands of retired civil servants in Bauchi State have lived with pain and disappointment. Men and women who built schools, manned hospitals, and kept the machinery of government running have been left without the gratuities that should sustain them in old age. Some have waited since 2012. Many have died waiting. Others are bedridden, unable to afford basic medication.
Successive governments have made promises. Every administration spoke of wiping away their tears. Yet those promises were broken, and the backlog has swelled beyond ₦30 billion. What should be a right became a privilege dispensed through political connections or lost to corruption. The retirees, who once gave their strength to Bauchi, are now left with nothing but frustration.
But perhaps, change is coming. As 2027 approaches, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate is offering more than empty words. He is presenting a structured plan to ensure that gratuity payment in Bauchi is no longer a political game but a permanent, transparent system. His vision is simple: gratuity is not a favor, it is a right.
The plan rests on clear pillars. Retirees will no longer queue for endless verification; records will be synchronized digitally, and mobile teams will visit the homes of the elderly and sick. A Gratuity Trust Fund will be established by law, fed by state allocations, federal support, and modest contributions from workers. Payments will be made in phases, beginning with those who have waited the longest, and all money will go directly into retirees’ bank accounts, cutting off middlemen. An independent oversight board, including retirees’ unions and civil society, will monitor the process while monthly reports are published for the public.
This is more than a financial blueprint; it is a moral statement. Dr. Pate is also pledging healthcare support for retirees in state hospitals. Blood pressure checks, hypertension drugs, and essential medical care will be offered free of charge. For men and women who have given their lives to service, this is not charity — it is dignity restored.
The importance of this plan goes beyond today’s retirees. It speaks to every worker in Bauchi today, from the classroom to the office, assuring them that their service will not end in neglect. It strengthens the bond of trust between citizens and government by proving that the state can keep its word.
For years, the image of retirees standing in long lines under the sun or moving from one office to another with dusty files has been a symbol of betrayal. If Dr. Pate emerges as governor in 2027, that image could finally be erased. In its place, Bauchi may see a system anchored in fairness, compassion, and sustainability.
The choice before the state is clear. It can continue with the cycle of promises and disappointments that has left so many in tears. Or it can embrace a new beginning, one that turns rights into reality and restores hope to the elderly. For Bauchi’s forgotten retirees, the stakes could not be higher.
A new journey awaits. A new system beckons. And with Dr. Ali Pate, there is hope that the tears of Bauchi’s retirees will finally be wiped away.
A new journey. A new system. The truth in action.
Lamara Garba Azare, writes from Azare