PenCom Holds Pre-Retirement Workshop For Workers…

The Pension Commission (PenCom) has organised a workshop for the year 2020 prospective retirees in Edo and Delta States, respectively.

The workshop which was held penultimate week in Benin City, capital of Edo state, was used to advice the prospective retirees to be open minded and remain vigilant while processing their retirement documentation.

Acting Director General of PenCom, Mrs Aisha Umar-Dahir, said the workshop was for persons who worked either in the Public Service of the Federation, Federal Capital Territory, States and Local Governments or the Private Sector.

The DG who was represented by Mr Adesola Adeseun, PenCom’s acting Head, South West zonal office,  Umar-Dahir said the objective of the workshop was to expose prospective retirees to the complexities of preparation for retirement.

The PenCom boss stated that one of the objectives of the Pension Reform Act (PRA 2014) was to ensure that every retiree received his retirement benefits as and when due.

She added that through the worshop, the prospective  retirees would become aware of how the established uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for all aspects of pension administration, including payment of retirement benefits to retirees amongst others came to be.

Umar-Dahir noted that necessary information, computation of retiree’s benefits and submitting same to Budget Office of the Federation for budgetary appropriation, were the reasons for pre-retirement verification and enrollment exercise.

She disclosed that the commission had conducted 12 enrollment exercises since inception, adding that PenCom was currently preparing for another exercise for Federal Government employees of treasury-funded MDAs due for retirement in 2020.

According to hee “as part of our annual regulatory activities, the Commission has finalised arrangements to commence the verification of prospective retirees who would be retiring in the year 2020 from the public service of the Federation.

“The verification exercise is scheduled to hold from 1 July to 2 August, 2019 in 15 centers across the country.

“The forthcoming exercise, therefore, necessitated the need to undertake adequate sensitization and public enlightenment in order to prepare prospective retirees on the steps to take towards a hitch free retirement life.

“Three topics will be presented which are: Enrolment Exercise and Documentation Requirements, Accessing Retirement under the CPS and Life in Retirement.

“It is our hope that the Workshop would inform participants on what they need to know on documentation requirements, payment of retirement benefits and best ways to enjoy life in retirement, she said.

In their remarks, some of the prospective retirees, at the workshop expressed appreciation  to the commission for organising the workshop, revealing that they had been adequately briefed and informed of the likely expectations of life in retirement.

The soon to-be senior citizens, who showed excitement with their barrage of enquiries and questions  during the interactive session, thanked Pencom for the workshop, saying it couldn’t have come at a better time.

One of the prospective retirees, who spoke to Journalists, Mr Ibrahim Obaze, said ” i am relieved because the information at my disposal from this workshop has allayed my fears and will help many of us to avoid the pitfalls our senior colleagues fell into for lack  of credible information.

“PenCom has really done very well and everyone is happy because our fears have been allayed”, Mr. Obaze added.

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