Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson says retirees are among the most vulnerable in the country and government in the interest of the society should embark on initiatives that benefit them.
Benson,who made this known at the workshop for officers of the CSPO titled: “Designing Social Safety Nets for Retirees of the Lagos State Public Service”, in Lagos, explained, that as a result, the state was working to expand the existing social nets championed by the Civil Service Pensions Office (CSPO) of his ministry for its retirees.
The Commissioner who said the purpose of the workshop was to explore the possibility of designing a framework to accommodate the existing and other possible safety nets for retirees of the state Public Service, also said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode fully understood and appreciated the roles played by public servants in governance.
He added that the Governor was compassionate about pensioners hence, his dedication to the welfare of public servants during and after active service.
Benson noted: “The government is working to design suitable social safety nets for retirees and we hope the seminar will come up with novel suggestions on how to improve and expand the existing social nets. There are existing safety nets being implemented by the CSPO in the hope that they will help stimulate this seminar’s inquiries into how these measures can be improved and the modalities for creating and sustaining additional safety nets as may be thought fit.
“In Lagos State, we believe that the society and the government should care for its retirees because they are our mothers and fathers. They are our first teachers. They teach how to love, how to care, how to give, how to forgive, how to accept, and most of all, they are our backbone of support. Without their endless sacrifice during our early years, we would not be capable of what we are today. We need to care for our retirees and the older citizens because they deserve to be cared for.
“We should care because they have more knowledge and wisdom than anyone of us. Their experiences through the turbulence of storms that life takes them through yield great wisdom.”
They have come so far and they have learned so much, we have a responsibility to learn from that wisdom.
“Also, we believe that there is need to know how we can create a society where people are not so worried about getting old, where there is less stereotyping of older people, more inter-generational contact and more opportunities to see older people as assets? What are the issues around financing retirement and how do we make sure older adults are not excluded because they don’t have enough money?”
In terms of existing initiatives, the Commissioner said the CSPO regularly distributes welfare packages to the retirees of the state’s public service that are 70 years and above.
This initiative is informed by the commitment of the Governor Ambode to continue to celebrate and appreciate the invaluable contributions made by public servants to the status of Lagos State as a model state and as Nigeria’s Centre of Excellence.