OIL OVER TROUBLED WATERS

Ofem Uket writes that the federal government is equipping its workers ahead of retirement

The welfare of workers which includes training, allowances and other remunerations, forms part of the mandate of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. It behooves on the management to at all times engage workers in a dialogue with a view to resolving all forms of complaints surrounding their welfare.

Currently, all federal civil servants due for retirement at the end of 2018 are undergoing agriculture development training at the Public Service Institute on the Kubwa expressway, Abuja to equip them to be self-reliant and sustaining after retirement.

This programme was put together by the HOS as an integral part of training schemes for workers in the country, taking into account the increasing cost of living which may rapidly erode retirees’ monthly pensions that can barely take care of family needs.

However, the Permanent Secretary Common Services (CSO), Office of the Head of Civil Service, Mr. Afolayan Olaniyi had addressed the protesting workers, saying the top management of the HOS office had agreed to meet their demands, being the initial position before the workers proceeded on protest. See https://www.vanguardngr. com/2018/08/head-of-service-staff-protestpoor-welfare-remuneration

Records and experience have shown that over 90 percent of retired civil servants can barely feed and take care of immediate domestic needs like payment of school fees, accommodation and other essential needs of the family.

This simply means the monthly pension received by retired civil servants is insufficient to secure the homes, especially when there are no other sources of incomes to cushion these miserable and lean financial measures upon retirement.

Taking all this into consideration, the Office of the Head of Service prompted a one week agricultural training programme for all civil servants on retirement to equip them with necessary skills that would empower them to get involved in commercial agriculture to increase food production that will make them self-sufficient.

Nigerian status in poverty as globally ranked recently is simply a reflection of citizen’s inability to be involved in high level production of goods and services in all sectors of the economy. It is economically wise to produce more than a nation will consume to boost market stability and reduce inflation rates. But over the years, the country has remained less productive, but ironically with high level consumption indices found within working ages of 25-65. Many people around this age bracket today are redundant with no jobs, partly a creation of successive misrule and also a society that relies on government to create intervention schemes for sustained earnings.

Statistics available to the public show clearly that less than five per cent of college and university graduates get employed yearly while the rest roam the streets for a reasonable number of years in search of jobs that are not available.

Citizens have long waited on government to roll out programmes that have direct bearing on the people to get involved in private enterprises - developing business concepts in agriculture, marine, oil and gas, road sector development, health, education, water, power, solid minerals and social investments.

Apparently, these initiatives have been reasonably considered by the present administration, which explains why the Head of Service has commenced the training programme for civil servants that would be disengaged from the service at the end of 2018, creating a future and hope for them and families.

A society with low production capacity and absence of effective measures for increased output is likely to experience increased poverty without option, and that is the scenario in Nigeria presently: the economic indicators are not strong enough due largely to redundancy that has culminated in poor living conditions and which have negative impact on the political and economic sphere of the nation.

For instance, the general elections in the country will continue to suffer unfair and biased out come because voters are poor and can be bought for a plate of food. Not until there is food for the people to eat, Nigeria will hardly have a free and fair contest at the polls, be it local, state and federal elections.

Low productivity and output are also the reason for inflation because fewer goods in the market are being chased by many. The productivity is not commensurate with the high demand, resulting in high prices and plunging the society into abject poverty and lack.

Thus, individuals and groups must rise up to the challenge faced daily, to surmount through decisive steps the problems facing millions of Nigerians: the problems of shelter, food and clothing. Many young men and women in our society are increasingly being disillusioned because of the general atmosphere of lack.

The ongoing training scheme for retired civil servants should serve as a boost and deep encouragement by the federal government to build capacity for the public sector to determine growth and development around rural and urban communities arising from the number of persons employed by such commercial activities.

A statement from the head of service last week disclosed that the training is for batches two to seven and aimed at addressing the age-long suffering of civil servants after retirement, stressing that it is a model developed specifically to curb poverty.