It was indeed a pleasure, an epoch making occasion for the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Rivers State branch in the last 10 years.
The two days event held at the auditorium of Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Port Harcourt, provided the opportunity for the state chairman, Comrade Austin T. Jonah, to appreciate all members of the association for their unquantified commitment to the success of their 4th quadrennial delegation conference recently held in Port Harcourt.
Comrade Austin charged members to take advantage of the solutions proferred by experts at the event tagged, “The Contributory Pension Scheme and the Pension Reform Act 2004: Emerging Challenges, Implementation and Prospects”.
The chairman however requested the fund administrators and custodians to give an answer on how they can benefit from the fund and partake in profit-sharing. He described the challenge of paying back money contributed at retirement without benefiting from the profit accruable, as worrisome that needed an honest answer.
Comrade Chika Onuegbu, Trade Union Congress TUC chairman, Rivers chapter used the medium to call on government to look into the reduction of about 75% that is being charged senior Civil Servants to about 25% to make it easier for them.
He maintained that government should take responsibility in the pension scheme and not to pass the bulk in the hands of private sector employers, adding that corruption has eaten deep in the country, and could only be eradicated when government stop treating culprits with kid gloves.
In his closing remarks, Comrade Princewill O. Akamo, State Secretary, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, appreciated the lecturers for their time, describing pension as a futuristic thing, a benefit and not a right.
He disclosed that there were potholes that government should look into in resolving some pension matters. Akamo further charged participants to make their inputs in the communiqué that will be produced at the end of the day, while Sir. N.S.N Okpu, Director of Establishment, who represented the Head of Service, Barr. S.T. LongJohn commended the outcome of the event. ###
Blaise Elumezie/Mene Gbarabe
