The Delta State Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Mininim Oseji, has called for stronger public enlightenment on pension matters to prevent civil servants from facing hardship in retirement.
She made the call on Thursday in Asaba while addressing participants at an in-house capacity-building workshop for officers of the Head of Service office and the Directorate of Establishments and Pensions.
Dr. Oseji stressed the need to utilise social media and other electronic platforms to educate workers, noting that effective pension planning was essential to securing employees’ future after active service.
She explained that the training provided an avenue to enhance collaboration between the Bureau for State and Local Government Pensions and the Pensions Department, as well as to improve feedback mechanisms for addressing challenges in the state’s contributory pension scheme.
The HoS also directed that regular monitoring and evaluation of pension processes be instituted to promote transparency, stressing that civil servants required clear guidance to prepare for retirement.
The workshop, themed “Retirement of Imprests in the Public Service”, featured presentations by Mr.Bright Agbogun and Mrs. Gladys Eta from the Office of the State Accountant-General. They highlighted the importance of accountability and transparency in managing imprests — funds provided to public officers for minor official expenses.
Also speaking, the State Director of Pensions, Mr.Godfrey Ofueneme, advised workers under the contributory pension scheme to complete biometric registration with a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA), monitor their contributions, and routinely request account statements. He said this would ensure workers remain fully aware of their pension records and entitlements.
