FG Seeks Approval To Use N750b Pension Bond To Pay Gratuities

The federal government has sent a bill to the National Assembly on the Pension Bond worth over 750 billion Naira for the payment of pensions and gratuity of workers.

The Permanent Secretary Service Welfare Office in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Patience Oyekunle, made this known in Abuja at an engagement with the leadership of staff Unions in all Federal Ministries.

Mrs Oyekunle said the Bill, which is awaiting passage at the National Assembly, is part of the welfare policies of the federal government to its workers to further boost their morale and improve industrial harmony.

The Permanent Secretary explained that the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, is committed to workers’ welfare and has put the reforms in the front burner at the Federal Executive council.

She added that the forum was convened to foster open dialogue among the unions in Ministries as one of the many avenues to discuss matters related to staff welfare, Conditions of service, and the challenges they face.

According to her, “We Resuscitated the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund for the effective implementation of the Employee Compensation Scheme.

“We have also reviewed the Rewards and Recognition Policy to entrench a performance driven culture that promotes excellence, innovation, dedication, and high productivity  across the Service.”

Mrs Oyekunle further stressed, “Most importantly, we ensure that an open-door policy to bridge the gap between government and the unions. Two ways of communication are maintained between the government and the unions for industrial harmony.”

In a remark, the Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, Hajiya Salamatu Ahmed stressed that the board had devised more ways to partner stakeholders to reduce the cost of housing for civil servants.

According to the Executive Secretary, the Federal Government Housing Loans Board, “We have been partnering now with so many stakeholders across the sector, like the mortgage bank, we discovered that, we have a lot of funds with mortgage in financing. We are trying to partner with them so that the civil servants can be able to access the loan. By doing that, we reduce the burden on the low income earners, especially now that housing is very high in Abuja.”

“We are also partnering with the private sector to reduce the cost of the houses. They are looking for land, and we secure land for them to reduce the cost. ”

Also, the Joint Union chairman, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Mrs. Chika Ukachukwu, while applauding the government, called for improvement on the National Health Insurance Authority scheme for civil servants in terms of access to healthcare.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji