The Permanent Secretary, in the Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mrs. Irene Kokumo says the bureau pays an average of N791m as monthly pensions to retired Local Government Council workers and SUBEB retirees under its Transition Pension Scheme which presently caters for a total of 11,616 retirees in the PRE-1991 category.
Kokumo disclosed this while playing host to members of the State House of Assembly Commitee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs led by Hon Akeem Balogun during the ongoing 2019 budget performance appraisal visit to the bureau at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Permanent Secretary stated that the bureau had been effectively managing the defined benefits scheme also know as “Pay as you Go” and that of the contributory pension scheme, clarifying that its primary responsibility was that of the pre 1991 retirees, consisting of teaching and non teaching retirees of SUBEB; the Local Government retirees and within the larger sphere, those officials still in active service.
She stressed that the bureau had been facilitating the prompt release of retirement savings account balance to retirees, who were hitherto disengaged from contributory pension scheme with a view to making life more abundant for the senior citizens to have a befitting life after meritorious years of service to the councils.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Akeem Agbolade while applauding the management team of the bureau for maintaining standard in the discharge of its duties, tasked the bureau to come up with strategies that could assist in offsetting the outstanding gratuities for local government councils and SUBEB retirees.
In another development, the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Kasali Olabimtan stated that the Commission was committed to ensuring improved manpower planning, human capacity development of its employees in all cadres for a more result oriented local government administration in the State.
Responding, the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, lauded the commission’s efforts at ensuring the sustainability of quality manpower, while encouraging quality service that would sustain the tempo of good governance through discipline.
The lawmakers including Honourables Yusuf Adejojo, Atinuke Bello, Oludaisi Elemide, Adeyemi Ademuyiwa and Abayomi Fasuwa equally appriased the budget performance of the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, with a charged on the Ministry to set machineries in motion to encourage Local Government and Local Council Development Areas generate more revenue and block leakages for the delivery of democratic dividends to the grassroot people.
