Amby Uneze in Owerri
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has finalised arrangements to commence the verification exercise of prospective retirees who would be retiring from public service next year.
The Acting Director General of the commission, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, made this known during her opening remarks at a pre-retirement workshop organised by the commission in Owerri. The seminar was also conducted in 14 other states.
Dahir-Umar, who was represented by a senior staff of the commission, Mrs Patience Uzoma, said the workshop was aimed at educating prospective retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) on how best to enjoy their post-retirement life.
According to the Acting DG, the verification exercise which would take place in 15 centres across the country had been scheduled to hold from July 1 to August 2, 2019. The Owerri exercise covers states like Abia, etc. She called on participants at the workshop to remain positive about post-retirement life, while describing them as senior citizens and very important stakeholders whose support has been quintessential in the life of the commission.
“We have finalised arrangements to commence verification of prospective retirees for the year 2020 starting from July 1. This is one out of fifteen verification centres nationwide and we are capturing Abia and Imo states.
“This is because we want to help you CPS contributors to effectively plan your post-retirement life. We consider you senior citizens without whom we would not have been here today. Feel free to make suggestions and contributions”, she said.
Some of the prospective retirees expressed delight over the workshop, while thanking the commission for taking the initiative.
Imo Commissioner of Police and prospective retiree, Mr Rabiu Ladodo, said: “I will be retiring in December 2019, so the workshop is very important for me. I have learnt today that with good communication a retiree is not a liability to himself or the community.
“I advise the commission to start the seminar from the beginning of one’s employment because a minute after employment is a journey towards retirement.”
Another participant, Mrs Grace Osuoha, a staff of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), thanked PenCom for creating the awareness while calling on other participants to key in to the opportunities presented by the CPS.
“I’m so glad that there is a plan for me as I prepare to retire in June 2020. I call on my fellow intending retirees to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the CPS and workshop,” she said.
The workshop had more than 500 prospective retirees from treasury funded ministries, agencies and departments participating.
