Adamawa House of Assembly to legislate on Pension Reform

By Usman Umar Sahabi

In continuation of its familiarization visit the Adamawa State House of Assembly standing Committee on Public Petition Public Service and Electoral Matters headed by Deputy Chief Whip of the House Mr. Adwawa Dongolok has visited the State Pension Board with a pledge to legislate on the reform of the sector for betterment of retirees.

The Committee Chairman and member representing Guyuk Constituency at the State Assembly while Speaking during the visit informed the board that the primary reason behind the visit was to enable the Committee get acquainted with their operational challenges.

He assured the board that, the seventh Assembly is ready to assist them with all what is needed for speedy settlement of outstanding gratuities of pensioners in the state as well as review of current rate of the pension.

Speaking while receiving the committee, the Executive Chairman Adamawa State Pension Board, Mr. Thomas Madi, said that the board was established primarily to administer retirement benefits to retired Civil Servants and several other activities.

The Chairman said that the salient issue of the board is the outstanding liability of gratuity of eighteen billion naira and sought for upward review of monthly allocation from fifty million to three hundred and fifty million monthly for speedy settlement of outstanding gratuities within four years.

The Board further sought for approval for the implementation of newly reviewed pension rate for pensioners in the state, a minimum of seven thousand as against the current four thousand naira.

Madi while appealing to the government to consider introducing an indigenous and befitting contributory pension scheme which will be workable in the state also called for full automation of pension through computerization and software installation of the board facilities for effective pension administration.