The Cross River State Government has made known its intention to partner the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to provide additional 2,000 housing units to civil servants.
Governor Liyel Imoke stated this while inaugurating the South-South Zonal office of the National Pension Commission in Calabar which is the first of its kind in the six geo-political zones.
Governor Imoke called on the Commission to use part of its investible funds of over N3.34 trillion to partner state governments as its prime customers to enable them execute infrastructural projects at zero percent interest rate level.
He was of the opinion that this would enable states commence on meaningful infrastructural development and ensure returns are made rather than place it in the hands of individuals or the private sector, adding that the opening of the office in Calabar marks the beginning of better life and better opportunities for pensioners in the south-south zone.
According to him, “this in no doubt would make the states, local governments, workers, retirees, corporate bodies, and other agencies in the south-south to be part of the vanguard of the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme.”
He said the governments and the people of the zone are happy to be identified with the key objectives of the new scheme, adding that ‘the achievements of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the eight years of existence are unparalleled when one considers the fact that for first time in the history of Nigeria our pension scheme was able to generate pool of investible funds of over N3 trillion, which has been invested in various financial institutions”.
The governor suggested the enactment of an appropriate legislation and enlightenment to enable civil servants understand the benefit of the scheme because the pull of pension funds is a potential platform for attaining the transformation agenda of government in the provision of infrastructure, energy, employment generation and the development of the real sector of the economy.
Imoke noted that the scheme is also worthy of commendation as the large number of workers would be entitled to their retirement benefits as and when due while observing that the office would remove the need for people travelling to Abuja on pension matters.
“This will grant them easy access to the services provided by the commission and facilitate various sensitization and public enlightenment on the new pension scheme,” he said.
Acting Director General, National Pension Commission, Mrs. Chinelo Anaho-Amazu, said they thought it expedient to establish Zonal office in all the six geo-political zones as a way of decentralizing their activities and thus bring the administration of pension closer to the government and people.
Anohu-Amazu remarked that it is their expectation that retirees, active workers and other stakeholders will tap the opportunities offered by the Calabar office to lodge their complaints, seek education and demand of sensitization and other awareness programmes, adding that ‘the opening of the south-south zonal office will no doubt create the needed awareness and thus motivate buy-in from stakeholders in the region”.
Goodwill messages were sent in by Chairman Senate Committee on Pension, Senator Aloysius Etuk, Chairman House Committee on Pension represented by Hon Ibrahim Kamba, Chairman Pension Operators Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dave Uduanu and Vice President Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Isa Aremu, among others.