Niger state govt.to begins automation of all pensions in the state as part of effort to reform the system.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger state, disclosed this a two-day Human Right Protection Sensitisation Workshop/Seminar on Labour Productivity in Nigeria held at the hall of Nigerian Union Teachers Secretariat in Minna on Thursday.
The workshop was organised by Human Right Protection of Law and Justice Foundation and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Niger state Council in collaboration with Ministry for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs
Bago, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, directed the NLC to take the head count of all pensions in the state and submit the data to the state government.
“Very soon, we will start verification of all pensions, labour should will go and do the head counts of all pensions and submit the data to the state government,” he said.
He added that the automation was to know the actual number of pensioners as well as strengthen the system especially in areas of missing funds, leakages and underpayment.
Bago directed all those employed between 1993 and 2007 should go to their various Pension Fund Administration (PFA) for biometric capturing, tomb prints and get their statement of account to submit to the state pension board to claim their savings.
He disclosed that the exercise would last for two months, adding that those who failed to do their biometric capturing, tom printing and submission of their statement of account would be declared as ghost workers.
He added that a consultant had been contracted to handle pensioners automation and was working in hand with the state government for the exercise, adding that NLC was to handle the head count.
The governor, however, commended the cordial relationship between the state government and the labour and appealed to residents of the state to be patient with government especially on the ongoing reforms.
In his remarks, Chairman of NLC in Niger, Comrade Idrees Lafene, said the workshop was on labour and industrial relationship to educate people with knowledge in the labour to function well.
He assured the NLC would give it 100 per cent support and loyalty to the state government in areas that would bring about development of the state.
Highlights of the event was award of certificate to the deputy governor as National ambassador Human Right Protection Rule of Law and Justice by the Human Right Protection Rule of Law and Justice Foundation.
