By Taiwo Oguniyi
Kwara state – May 25, 2025
The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to sanitising the public payroll, following a disappointing turnout in the ongoing biometric registration exercise for pensioners. Nearly one year since the process commenced, over 73 percent of retirees have yet to comply with the verification requirements.
The exercise, being undertaken by the Kwara State Resident Registration Agency (KWSRRA), aims to identify legitimate pensioners and eliminate fraudulent entries from the state’s payroll.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, the government lamented that despite sustained sensitisation efforts and multiple registration windows, the majority of pensioners have failed to present themselves for verification. She stated that moving forward, payments will be restricted to verified individuals only.
“We have been on this campaign for nearly a year. The government has given enough time for all workers and pensioners to enroll. We can no longer afford to disburse funds to unverifiable persons. Only those who have complied will continue to receive payments,” Dr. Nuru said.
She further disclosed that a syndicate allegedly involved in manipulating payroll data has been uncovered and reported to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution. According to her, the syndicate has been actively working to undermine the verification process.
“This cartel is employing various tactics to obstruct the KWSRRA exercise and prevent the identification of genuine beneficiaries. We are closing in on them, and justice will take its course,” she added.
In a related development, the state government has approved an across-the-board increase of N10,000 in monthly pensions for retirees. The increment, reached through negotiations with the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), will take effect from May 1, 2025.
The government reaffirmed that the registration exercise is a strategic measure to entrench transparency, block revenue leakages, and improve the efficiency of public expenditure.
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