Buhari’s 1984/85 public service intake retiring

Retirement is part of life. And it has caught up with civil and public servants who were recruited in 1984/85 by the Federal Government led by Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari.

The bulk of them, who were recruited by the Federal Civil Service Commission or Federal Government agencies, have now reached their retirement time, or are very close to it - under the leadership of the person that approved their recruitment into the public service. Thousands of them have already exited the service with him in charge of our national affairs.

It is not every time, in a country where periodic change of leaders is routine and almost predictable, that a set of officials who have a maximum tenure of 35 years, will retire in the same hands that recruited them three and a half decades ago.

It is the fate of President Muhammadu Buhari, and that of the fresh staff of 35 years ago, that it will happen in this rare way. The only other Nigerian President that could have a similar record is former military Head of State and exPresident, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

While General Muhammadu Buhari left office as a military Head of State before those recruited were even confirmed in their jobs as permanent and pensionable staff, he will sign their Pension Bond Redemption Fund to enable them access their retirement savings accounts. They are mostly Contributory Pension Scheme subscribers.

And to add colour to the fact, some of them joined the military service around that time and rose through the ranks of the officer corps to become, wait for it, MajorGenerals, his earned military rank when he served as Head of State.

Of course, dozens of those who were recruited into the public service when Buhari was the Head State exited the service and joined the private sector.

Some of them have died, including a few from my BUK 1983 class. The latest being Professor Ibrahim Kolo, the former Vice Chancellor of the IBB University, Lapai.

One thing this pensioner can recall is that, the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and States Civil Service Commissions went around the country on talent-hunting, visiting NYSC secretariats in the states, interviewing prospective civil servants. The FCSC will conduct its interviews for all-Nigeria applicants, while teams from states civil service commissions interviewed NYSC members from their states.

Recruitment letters will be posted to those employed. It was so easy. Many readers may recall that it was so simple, so straightforward. It was common for those discharged from the NYSC to have more than one employment letters. Those who benefitted from that Nigerian reality may just recall it with nostalgia as they now enter the world of retirement. Their children may take the baton to continue with the relay.

As beginner-pensioners in another, albeit markedly different era of Muhammadu Buhari at the helms, many will have to be a bit patient before accessing their cash pot called Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs). The waiting period is getting shorter because their pension rights that accumulated before 2004 when the Contributory Pension Scheme started, will not take more than a few months of processing before receiving alert from their Pension Fund Administrators confirming credit.

The shorter waiting time is, truthfully speaking, because the current administration has geuine empathy and real sympathy for retirees. Payments of benefits that were taken as unlikely to materialise forever are now happening. This is the bedrock of the view that nowadays pensioners are given due attention.

However, despite the nearprompt payment of pensions, pensioners should prepare to accept being without support whatsoever from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). There is no healthcare cover in whatever form for them and their families regardless of the size of their contributions to the NHIS Fund while in service. Only Lagos State government pensioners have that privilege. The FGN should copy Lagos.