State Governments don’t see need to prepare staff for retirement – LASG

Lagos State Government have lamented that many state governments in the country do not see the need to prepare their employees for retirement.

Speaking, while declaring open a Retreat for Trade Union Leaders in Lagos State, held at the Michael Imoudu Institute in Ilorin, Kwara State, Lagos Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Benson Oke said the state government had seen the need to prepare its workforce for retirement by remitting money into officer’s Retirement Savings Account, RSA of retirees.

He said the union members had the advantage of having served an organisation that had made adequate arrangements for their future in retirement, adding that the state government had paid accrued pension rights running into billions into the RSA of retirees.

Oke stated that when both employee and employer adequately plan for retirement, the transformation becomes far less stressful than it would otherwise have been.

“While many employers of labour and indeed, many state government do not see the need to prepare their employees for a new life, the Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, however, is a people-oriented one and we have resolved that everyone who has worked diligently for the state has to be recognized, paid his/her dues and assisted to prepare for future challenges,” he said.

Oke noted that there were challenges inherent in facing a period of retirement, while advising members of the union not to be apprehensive about the challenges, while urging workers to envision a productive future in their retirement years.

According to the commissioner, employees intending to retire must remember to be thankful and grateful to God; envision a productive future, trying new things, inspiring other, remembering to make amends, embracing hope, waiting for things to turn out well, exercising, loving others and looking up to God.

Oke charged the union members to advantage of the opportunity offered by the retreat to relax, meditate and plan for the year and challenges ahead,

The commissioner argued that “while we can agree that human resources are rightly regarded as the bedrock of an organisation since organisations are overwhelmingly dependent on human capacity for the supply of physical labour, technical and professional skills, which are germane for effective and efficient planning and implementation of development policies, programmes, projects and daily activities; it is indisputable that, at a certain point, the human elements as well as the government, would need to prepare for retirement.”