The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has inaugurated a Committee that would fast track the immediate domestication and implementation of the new retirement age for teachers.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola inaugurated the Standing Committee in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
Adesola said the action followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for elongation of retirement age from 60 years to 65 years and length of service from 35 to 40 years for Teachers in the 36 States of the federation and FCT.
He expressed confidence that the new policy would address the issue of brain drain as well as enrich the teaching profession in the Federal Capital Territory adding that the inauguration of the Standing Committee became necessary following the release of a Service-Wide Guideline for the implementation of the new policy by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that all backlog of applications of beneficiaries that falls within the effective date of implementation being 1st January 2021 would be immediately processed, adding that this would ensure industrial harmony in the Territory.
He, therefore, charged all FCTA teachers to guard against abuse of the new policy by resisting the temptation to turn themselves into super teachers, by becoming unavailable to render the teaching service, for which they are being paid for, but rather reciprocate Government’s kind gesture by becoming extra dedicated and committed to their profession.
The Permanent Secretary also used the opportunity to appeal to the FCT wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers(NUT) to call off its ongoing strike, which is currently affecting primary schools managed by the Local Education Authorities(LEA) in the area councils.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the Committee which is to be chaired by the Director of FCTA Human Resource Management, Malam Mohammed Bashir, has the following terms of reference: collation of applications from interested officers, screening of applications to determine eligibility based on extant guidelines, verification of documents and forwarding of recommendations for consideration and approval respectively.
Responding on behalf of the Committee, the Chairman of the Committee, Malam Mohammed Bashir thanked the Permanent Secretary for the confidence reposed in the Committee to carry out such a sensitive assignment.
He assured the Administration that the Committee would immediately get to work to ensure the new policy takes off immediately.
PIAK
