The Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has approved pension increment for retired workers under the Defined Pension Scheme.
The Acting Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, disclosed this to newsmen in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
Nta hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval was sequel to approval of the Board of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.
“I am very delighted to inform you that as soon as Mr. President gave his approval, the circular indicating the pension increases for pensioners under the defined scheme was issued to all relevant stakeholders for immediate implementation. The approval takes effect from 18th April, 2019,” Nta said.
According to him, the approval was sequel to a series of collaborative meetings held with stakeholders such as the National Union of Pensioners, Pension Transition Administration Department, PTAD, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, the Nigerian Police, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, among others.
The Acting Chairman hinted that the pension increases would be paid to retirees under 13 different salary structures in the defined scheme.
He listed the beneficiary structures to include the “Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure, CONPSS; Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, CONRAISS; Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, CONTISS II; Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure, CONUASS II; and Consolidated Tertiary Education Salary Structure, CONTENDISS.”
Others, he noted, were the “Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Salary Structure, CONPCASS; Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS; Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS; Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure, CONICSS; Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure, CONAFSS; Consolidated Police Salary Structure, CONPOSS and Consolidated Para-Military Salary Structure, CONPASS.”
He expressed appreciation to President Buhari, stakeholders and retirees for their patience, promising that payment of the arrears would commence soon.
Augment Income
Nta advised civil service and public servants to take advantage of President Buhari’s numerous agricultural empowerment schemes to augment their income and prepare for retirement.
“I want to use this opportunity to encourage all those in the public and civil service to take advantage of Mr President’s agricultural empowerment programmes to prepare for retirement.
“There are several training programmes in Agriculture and boundless opportunities in the different value chains that make the sector the most viable. Agriculture remains the best and we have not explored enough. It is the only sector approved for Nigerian workers to get engaged in and I urge you to do so.
“…A lot of civil servants need to prepare for retirement and I must say that there are many good businesses to do in the agriculture sector.”
Amaka E. Nliam
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