The chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Rivers State, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini has restated his commission’s commitment towards ensuring that its retirees do not suffer after leaving active service.
Nmerukini stated this in Port Harcourt, while declaring open a 2 day workshop for Pension Desk Officers of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
The chairman who was represented at the event by the Secretary of the Commission, Sir. Gabriel Adonye Jumbo said the commission has concluded plans to provide imprest for the pensions boards management.
He warned that any attempt by officers to extort money from retirees before processing their pension will attract serious sanctions. Nmerukini who was Special Guest of Honour at the event said with the caliber of desk officers, coupled with the training they are exposed to, the target of ensuring that retirees get their pension latest three months after retirement will be realized.
He congratulated the pension desk officers for the appointment and urged them to make maximum use of the workshop to better their lot.
In his remarks at the occasion, the president of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Rivers State chapter, Barr. Franklin Ajunwo while congratulating the Desk Officers, thanked the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) chairman for taking the welfare of the workers seriously.
He also commended the commission for establishing pension desk offices at the local government areas of the state, as well as deeming it fit to train the desk officers.
The NULGE Boss reminded the desk officers that the destiny of the workers is in their hands.
Ajunwo urged them to eschew corruption while discharging their duties.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the State Local Government Staff Pension Board, Mr. Telema Wokoma thanked the consultant for choosing the appropriate theme for the workshop, noting that the aim is to ensure that desk officers become more efficient in their duties.
He equally said that the essence is to enable the desk-officers rob minds on how to move the commission forward, as regards staff pension.
Mr. Wokoma charged the participants to make maximum use of the opportunity offered by the training.
Earlier, the consultant and coordinator of the workshop, Chief Geoffrey Thomas had assured that the workshop will provide employees means of securing their standard of living on retirement, comparable to the time they were in service.
He described the workshop as a deliberate attempt by the commission’s chairman and his team to reposition the Local Government Staff Pensions Board to meet the internationally acceptable best practices in pension scheme management.
According to him, the workshop focuses more on practical approach to pension management, which he said is all encompassing.
Chief Thomas lauded the management of the Rivers State Local Government Pension Board for the vision and urged the participants to justify the resources invested on them by achieving maximum productivity at the long run. ###
Barth Ndu
