Lagos Restates Commitment To Workers’ Welfare

[TGD]

 THE Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission, Mr. Rotimi Adekunle Hussain, has avowed government's commitment to the welfare of retirees and workers in the State Public Service. The DG made this known when he received students of Senior Executive Management Course 14, 2012 of the Nigerian Army School of Medical Sciences, Ojo, Lagos, who paid a familiarisation visit to the commission recently.

In a statement by Taofeek Lawal, the Press and Public Relations Officer, Hussain, who lauded the participants for considering the Lagos State Pension Commission as one of the organisations selected for the visit, said that the Contributory Pension Scheme was aimed at providing a befitting retirement life for retirees, who have served the state for the better part of their lives.

He stressed that since inception of the scheme in April 2007, Governor Fashola has shown huge commitment to the welfare of workers in the public service by ensuring that the state's 7.5 percent and staff's 7.5 percent contribution are remitted into the Retirement Savings Accounts of each employee, as at when due.

The DG emphasised that with the absolute support of the governor to the scheme, Lagos has blazed the trail in pension administration in the entire country, saying this had culminated in the redemption of Retirement Bond Certificates worth N7.6 billion into the RSA of 1,471 retirees so far.

While reacting to the issue of fraud that appears to have pervaded the old Pay-As-You-Go scheme in the country, where old pensioners are subjected to untold hardship, Hussain said that the Contributory Pension Scheme is a clear departure from the PAYGO.

In his address, the leader of the team, who is also the Director of Studies of the Nigerian Army School of Medical Sciences, Col. Michael Adegbesan, said the students are on a managerial course for middle-level officers and were in the commission to under-study the transition from the old PAYGO to the new scheme, with a view to understanding its benefits and operation.

While acknowledging that the team had benefitted immensely from the quality education they got about the scheme, he commended the commission for its efforts in providing better life in retirement for employees of the state. He also presented a plaque on behalf of the Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Medical Sciences, Brig. General C.O. Idehen, to the commission.

Other LASPEC officials present at the event included the Executive Director of Finance and Investment, Adekunle Wright; Head of Inspectorate, Dr. (Mrs.) Tonia Smart; Head of Administration, Mrs. Lilly Kukoyi; and Head of ICT Department, Babatunde Yusuff.



The Guardian