BY NKECHI NAECHE–-In a bid to improve the health of its retirees, the Lagos State Government on Wednesday said it plans to provide health insurance cover to its ex-workers who retired from the state civil service.
Cross section of employees at the event held today in Lagos.
This, according to the state government, is to ensure that ex-workers have a long life at retirees, believing that health is wealth.
Speaking to journalists at the 15th Retirement Benefit Documentation Seminar for Employees’ in the Lagos State Public Service Due To Retire Between January-June, 2019, in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State yesterday, the Director General, Lagos State Pension Commission(LASPEC), Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, said, the State is set to commence health insurance for its workers and would extend such gesture to the retirees of the state civil service.
Cross section of employees at the event.
“This is because health is wealth and we want to ensure that our retirees are in the best health condition to enjoy retirement. Lagos State has the interest of both its workers and exworkers in mind.”
While calling on the would be retirees who have a terminal ailment to submit a medical report alongside their documents when processing their pension, she promised that the state government would give such retirees preferential treatment so that they can take care of their health.
The state government, through LASPEC, she said, will assist its retirees to get their respective pension entitlement as and when due,urging workers who will soon retire to always ensure that they submit the needed documentation six months before retirement to ensure that necessary approvals are made.
Noting that any worker, who fails to submit the needed documents six months before retirement will lose three month salaries, she added that the sanction was instituted to ensure that retirees are paid on time.
The seminar, she said, was to sensitise the workers who are about to retire on how to process their pension as well as give them tips to live a long, healthy and enjoyable life at retirement.
Declaring the seminar open, the Commissioner for Establishment and Pension, Mr. Akintola Oke Benson, disclosed that the State Government has funded its employees’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in a period of 11, up to N166 billion.
He noted that as at October, 2018, the total contributions remitted to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) from April, 2017 to date was N91 billion, adding that in the last 38 months, from August, 2015 to October, 2018, the state has paid accrued pension rights of N40.93 million to 9,982 retirees, while accrued pension rights of N74.58 billion has been paid yo 17,391 retirees since commencement of entitlements in 2010.
He maintained that the state government has the interest of retirees at heart, hence, the commitment of a lot of money for the payment of pension entitlement to the retirees since the inception of the CPS in the state.
Moreover, the Commissioner for Establishment and Pension, Mr. Akintola Oke Benson disclosed that the state government has the interest of retirees at heart and has therefore committed a lot of money for the payment of pension entitlement of Lagos civil service retirees since the inception of the Contributory Pension Scheme(CPS) in the state.
The Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Adesoye, applauded the prospective retirees for what they have done for the state government in the last 35 years, noting that, their dedication and commitment to service has made Lagos State a symbol,of example for other states.
She noted that the state government will not forget this gesture and will always send them birthday gifts on their respective birthdays.
Speaking in the same vein, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishment and Pension, Mrs. Rhoda Ayinda, urged participants at the seminar to listen careful to understand the two exit options which are; Annuity and Programme Withdrawal so that they could be well informed when either of the two.
