Ambode assures Lagos civil servants on safe retirement

The Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has assured civil servants who are about to retire from the service in the state that the Contributory Pension Scheme put in place by government will guarantee them safe retirement.

Ambode gave the assurance yesterday when he spoke at a training programme tagged, ‘Preparing for Life After Retirement: Understanding the Contributory Pension Scheme’, organised by the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions in Lagos.

The was the governor, represented Commissioner who by for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Akintola Benson Oke, said the administration was concerned about civil servants’ productivity and the need to ensure that retirement was desirous and not dreaded by fear of the unknown.

That was the reason, Ambode said, the state government became the first to domesticate the Contributory Pension Scheme in Nigeria.

“Through the 2007 Lagos State Pension Reform Law, we ensure that all persons in the employment of the state government save towards their retirement and people retire from service when due. We established a set of rules and regulations for the administration and payment of retirement benefits in the public service,” Ambode said.

The Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin

Ogundipe, who was one of the resource persons at the training, applauded the initiative, saying it had become expedient forgovernment to improve civil servants’ orientation that retirement was not a death sentence.

Another resource person, Prof. Pat Utomi, said that with the enormous wealth of experience at their disposal, some of the civil servants needed to prepare for life after retirement and how they can deploy their experiences into entrepreneurship.