The Ogun State House of Assembly has assured pensioners in state-owned tertiary institutions that it will review and amend the State Pension Law of 2013 to address their concerns.
The commitment was made by the Chairman of the House Committee on Establishments and Public Service Matters, Hon. Babatunde Tella, during a meeting with the Joint Action Committee of Pensioners.
Hon. Tella reaffirmed that the Assembly would collaborate with the state government to find the best approach to resolving the pension issues affecting retirees.
He emphasized that no retired professor or staff member should suffer delays in receiving their entitlements.
“The Assembly will revisit the pension law of 2013; there is a need to amend it. Our job is to create an enabling environment for other arms of government to thrive. We must do everything possible to encourage those still serving. The issue of Japa Syndrome is already affecting our education sector,” he stated.
The lawmaker called for the cooperation of the Bureau of State Pensions and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a fair resolution of the pensioners’ grievances.
Supporting the move, the Minority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Lukman Adeleye, noted that all stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Education and representatives from the Ministry of Justice, would be invited for discussions on the matter.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pensions, Mrs. Arinola Adetayo, explained that pension payments were being processed in line with the relevant sections of the State Pensions Act. She assured the pensioners that their concerns would be addressed accordingly.
Earlier, the Chairman of the forum, Prof. Adeniyi Ogundipe, expressed frustration over delays in processing pensions for some retirees.
He urged the Bureau of State Pensions to use the salary structure in place at the time of retirement to calculate pensions for retirees of state-owned tertiary institutions.
“We call on the Bureau of State Pensions to apply the equivalent pensionable allowance obtainable in the civil service and other public services for retirees of state-owned tertiary institutions. The state government should also intervene to resolve these pressing concerns,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, in a separate engagement, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, advised youths to be diligent in acquiring skills that will make them self-sufficient.
Addressing pupils from Lyceum College during their excursion to the State Assembly, Elemide encouraged them to be good ambassadors of their families and to take their education and vocational training seriously.
