Bade Ademo writes that the increment will help cushion the impact of inflation on Lagos pensioners

Public sector workers in the twilight of their career are often apprehensive of life after retirement. Having put in the good part of their active years into the service of their fatherland, the minimum honour that the system should afford them is a decent and regular pension after service. But alas this has often been a nightmare.

The Olusegun Obasanjo administration attempted to tackle the menace and ameliorate the pain and tears of pensioners. He initiated Pension Reforms Act 2004 to address the shortcomings of the Defined Benefit Scheme Pension Scheme that was largely unfunded by public agencies, thereby throwing pensioners into a life of uncertainty.

In 2014, the Pension Reform Act 2004 was repealed. Today, Act of the Parliament known as Pension Reform Act 2014 provides the framework for the pension funds administration and empowers the Pension Commission (PENCOM) to serve as the regulator for the sector in Nigeria. The Defined Benefit Scheme has given way to Uniform Contributory Pension Scheme, where a pensioner is placed under a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).

Meanwhile, the federal government and the federating units are still obligated to cater for pensioners who left service prior to the enactment of the Pension Act 2004 as amended.

These are the senior citizens that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State gave a lease of life recently when the government announced approval of a 33 percent increment in their pension with effect from January 2020.

The compassionate governor also approved the payment of a balance of 25% rent allowance for officers on GL 07 and above who had retired from May 2000 to August 2004.

The Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, who disclosed this during a recent meeting with the members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, affirmed that both the increment and payment of the arrears will take effect from September, 2020, in a bid to meet up with the harmonisation exercise for the pensioners.

According to her, Governor Sanwo-Olu, since his assumption of Office, has paid a total sum of ₦1.893Billion to Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, adding that all monthly pensions are paid as at when due without exception, despite the shortfall in revenue accruable to the state government occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the contributory pensions scheme, the Lagos State government paid over ₦21bn as accrued pension rights to 5,354 retirees from May 2019 – August 2020, while over ₦978m was credited into the retirement savings accounts of 405 retirees in June 2020, the commissioner further disclosed.

To ease payment and verification exercise for pensioners, Babajide Sanwo-Olu government flagged off the Biometric online verification of pensioners in the state, leveraging on technology to ease the statutory audit exercise by making pensioners participate from the comfort of their homes within the country and in the diaspora. The exercise is held bi-annually to forestall financial leakages resulting from the payment of monthly pensions to deceased pensioners.

This humane gesture of the Sanwo-Olu administration is the latest in the series of pro-masses interventions of the government. The increment in pension will go a long way to reduce the impact of inflation on the earnings of pensioners. It clearly demonstrates that the Sanwo-Olu government is ever looking for ways of cushioning the effects of current economic strangulation.

The first and last mile buses the governor pushed out recently as a decent, reliable public transportation option to commercial motorcycles and tricycles is also geared towards ensuring a better life for the mass of Lagosians.

At the launch, the governor said: “The launch of the First and Last Mile (FLM) Bus Scheme today is an important milestone in our quest to achieve the intermodal transport system which gives our teeming population the choices they deserve, reducing congestion and journey times, and improving the quality of life. It is also in fulfilment of one of the measures we promised as a solution to the security situation discussed at our recent Security Stakeholders’ Town Hall Meeting.

“As a responsible government, we are launching this scheme in response to two major issues. One is the alarming statistics of fatal accidents recorded from the operations of Okadas in Lagos between 2016 and 2019, and the use of Okadas for the facilitation of crime across the metropolis. The goal is the full implementation of a safer and more efficient alternative transport solution that takes out the need for Okadas and replaces them with safer buses that will help us curb incidents of Okada-related accidents, crimes and robberies”.

The infrastructure of roads that makes efficient transportation possible is also receiving a boost under the Sanwo-Olu government. Major highways like Ikorodu Road and others are getting concrete and iron-reinforced resurfacing to withstand pressure of higher capacity vehicles.

Popular Oba Sekunmade Road in Ikorodu is currently being reconstructed. The critical road that stretches from Ogolonto to Ebute Ipakodo serves as an alternate corridor to Ikorodu roundabout route for residents and motorists heading to Epe, Ikosi-Ejinrin, Itamaga, Elepe, Lucky Fibre all in the Lagos East district.

Agric/ Asolo/ Isawo Road that started under the predecessor of Governor Sanwo-Olu is also getting required attention. High Tech Construction is working to meet up with the deadline. Scores of communities like Agbede, Ishawo, Ori-Okuta, Igbo-Olomu and adjourning settlements are eagerly awaiting the completion of the road that will link them to Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway via Arepo.

Igbogbo Road construction is also on course. As it is with Lagos East, so it is with West and Central. Under Sanwo-Olu, every district is important. Social infrastructure is likewise extended to all demographics.

The youth and women are getting succour with the $20 million Coronavirus (COVID-19) Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (Lagos CARES) Programme to support livelihood for poor and vulnerable households and to expand food security services in the state.

Sanwo-Olu is a phenomenon in Lagos. He consolidated on the gains of his predecessors and he is charting a path for a sustainable Lagos. Sanwo-Olu has creatively raised the state internally generated revenue (IGR) without overburdening the people.