The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has called on the National Assembly to amend the pension law to provide more robust packages for retired civil servants.
The national president of the association, Shehu Muhammed, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.
Muhammed noted that issues surrounding pensions had persisted for years, with numerous attempts to address them proving unsuccessful.
He stated that some employers fail to remit their contributions to the National Pension Commission, leaving affected employees unable to access their terminal benefits until the employer fulfils their obligations.
“From this, you can see that there is no difference between the old system and the new system; we are essentially back to square one, where retirees spend years without accessing their terminal benefits,” Muhammed said.
“Some retirees have died without ever receiving their retirement benefits. However, there is still a window for improvement through those who formulated the law—the National Assembly.”
“That is our next bus stop because the complaints we are receiving from our members across the country indicate that the contributory pension scheme is no longer beneficial to Nigerian workers.”
“We will return to the National Assembly with suggestions for amending the law to ensure retirees can access their money immediately after leaving service,” he added.
He also urged the government to implement policies and programmes that create job opportunities and support small businesses for those transitioning out of civil service.
He highlighted that hundreds of thousands of students graduate from tertiary institutions annually, with many expecting to secure white-collar jobs.
According to him, the high unemployment rate significantly contributes to insecurity in the country.
