KOGI STATE CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME TO COMMENCE JANUARY NEXT YEAR
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has been commended for kick-starting the contributory pension scheme in Kogi State.
The State Head of Civil Service, Mrs Hannah Odiyo gave the commendation in Lokoja while declaring open a three day sensitization workshop for civil servants.
Odiyo noted that the welfare of civil servants is paramount to Kogi State Government, hence the introduction of the contributory pension scheme.
The Head of Civil Service who said the sensitization was important to the success of the scheme, advised Civil servants to key into it.
Director General, Kogi State Pension Commission, Maryam Abedoh noted that the contributory pension scheme is the best policy for civil servants, urging them to embrace the scheme wholeheartedly.
Maryam said the scheme was a policy enacted by the Federal Government which started since 2004 and most states have domesticated it including the private sector.
According to her, Kogi State Government after xtraying the benefits of the scheme in 2018 passed a bill through the State House of Assembly which was assented to by the State Governor.
She noted that as from January next year everything in the Commission would be digitized, stressing that the idea of carrying files from one point to another will soon be a thing of the past.
The Facilitator, Habibat Ajoge who x-rayed the benefits of the scheme said the state contributory pension scheme is a product of National Pension Commission and it is been regulated by the national body hence no room for manipulation of any sort.
Habibat noted that the money deducted from civil servants by pension fund administrators should not be regarded as deductions because they are been invested into profit making ventures which will be beneficial to the civil servants in the long run.
According to her, eight percent of a civil servant’s monthly income is been saved into the retirement savings account with the State Government making a ten percent contribution monthly as well.
She noted that the scheme will improve the livelihood of retirees and wipe out all the pain, stress and bottlenecks associated with gratuity and pension after service.