Capacity Devt, Key to Our Success Story, Says Lagos Govt

•  Trains over 5,000 public servants in 2016 alone

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government has attributed its success story to sustained capacity development programmes it regularly organised for employees to enable them discharge their responsibilities in line with the best practice globally.

Consequently, the state government disclosed that at least 5,000 public servants were trained in different specialties to ensure that people’s needs are properly responded to and a functional government is effectively run to realise the state’s vision for a smart city.

The Commissioner for Establishment, Training & Pensions, Dr. Akintola Oke gave the figure at an annual ministerial press briefing he addressed alongside the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Folashade Ogunnaike and the Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde among others.

At the briefing, Oke said over 5,000 employees had been trained in the last one year, noting that 3,160 officers benefitted from 72 in-plant/tailored made workshops and training programme.

Of the figure, he said 1,650 officers benefited from 25 turnkey/bespoke training programme; 84 officers were sponsored to federal training centre for career enhancing programme; 108 officers were sponsored to local training workshops and 81 officers benefited from international workshops.

He, therefore, said the capacity building programmes were organised to fast-track the process of service delivery; enhance performance in workplaces and govern the state differently in a way that would guarantee real growth and sustainable development.

Aside capacity development, Oke disclosed that over N217 billion has been saved in the retirement savings accounts of all public servants in its employment while N11.75 billion has been paid beneficiaries since 2007 the state started complying with the Pension Reform Act, 2014.

At the ministerial briefing, Oke said there “has been regular deduction of 7.5 per cent from the salaries of staff and corresponding 7.5 per cent by the state government into the retirement savings accounts. The accounts are maintained with their Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs)”

Currently, Oke noted that the deduction from staff members had cumulatively risen to N78.59 billion since the state government had started complying with the Pension Reform Act in 2007.

He, also, pointed out that the state government had funded employees’ pension rights under the contributory pension scheme in a period of ten years to the tune of N138.413 billion, thereby bringing the state’s retirement saving accounts to a whopping sum of N217 billion as at March.

Effectively, the commissioner said the state government had through the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) paid a sum of N11.754 billion into the Retirement Saving Account (RSA) of 2,886 retirees.

He said 1,291 of the retirees were from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); 697 from Teacher Establishment Pension Office (TEPO); 887 from the mainstream service and 11 from parastatals.

He, therefore, said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode “has not relented in the bailout of the local government and SUBEB retirees. The governor magnanimously gave instructions for state government funds to be utilised to pay retirees from local government.”

Oke disclosed that the state government “has paid to beneficiaries of deceased employees insurance benefit worth N170 million. The insured death is by law to be paid to named beneficiaries to alleviate the immediate needs of the family members of a deceased person.”

The commissioner explained that the estate of a deceased staff member “is also entitled to receive the balance in the retirement account and accrued rights due, if the employee had joined service before the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme.”