…as 105 retiring civil servants receive certificates in various skills
Governor Abdullahi Sule has presented cheques worth two hundred thousand naira to 40 best graduating trainees at the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Skills & Vocational Institute, where they emerged best in wielding and fabrication, ICT, tailoring and fashion design.
Governor Sule Friday equally presented certificates to 105 about to retire civil servants who underwent an intensive two-week pre-retirement skills acquisition training, preparatory to their leaving the civil service.
According to the Governor, those about to leave the service have paid their dues, having worked hard to contribute towards the development of the state.
He however expressed concerned over the plight of retirees in the State who in the past leave the service with no hope of getting their retirement benefits.
“We came an inherited a situation where when somebody is leaving, he is not leaving with his gratuity, he is not leaving with his complete package so the he will go and set up something to do. A lot of people actually leave and when they leave they stay so many years without seeing their complete gratuity. And that is very very painful if you are truly a leader,” he said.
Governor Sule said as someone who worked in several companies where he received his entire benefits on the day he retired, he became disturbed after realizing that some retired civil servants did not get their retirement benefits since 1996 when Nasarawa State was created.
He said on coming onboard, his administration paid all the retirees from 1996 all the way to 2011and is now working towards the payment of those who left the state civil service from 2011 to date.
The Governor pointed out that with the growing number of retiring civil servants, the ideal situation for the state is to introduce the contributory pension scheme, which would see retirees getting their entire benefits on retirement.
“Because everyday you have people leaving. But the ideal thing to do was a situation that I found myself when I was in another company. When I was there, every time you are paid your salary your contribution is paid directly to a pension manager. We were in a contributory pension scheme. But in Nasarawa State we are still not yet on contributory pension scheme. My dream, by the grace of God, is to see that we establish contributory pension scheme before I leave,” he stated.
He said his administration introduced the pre-retirement programme for about-to-retire civil servants in order to impact vocational skills on the retirees to prepare them for live after service.
“Many retirees suffer because of lack of planning for retirement. That is why when I am here I said let me use the opportunity so that our retirees from this state will not face the same problem faced by those who fritter their retire benefits.
“Even though they may not have 20m to do that but we will give them a skill and try to connect them with a facility,” he added.
He added that his experience in the United State where he was forced to use the skills he learned at the Bukuru Technical College to earned a living, motivated him to convert the structure initiated by his immediate past predecessor to into a vocational institute in order to provide opportunity for the youths and citizens of the state to acquire skills that would change their lives for the better.
The Governor therefore challenged the beneficiaries of the training programmes to utilize the opportunity to better their lives.
He equally appreciated both the management of the institution, as well as some state lawmakers such as Hon. Hajiya Hajara Danyaro and two others, for buying into the idea of skills acquisition by sponsoring members of their constituencies to acquire vocational skills.
“For me, as far as this institute is concerned, I am fulfilled. That is exactly what I was looking forward to and I am happy other people are buying in and doing what is supposed to be done. This week I got my satisfaction both left and right. The matriculation at the faculty of engineering Gudi with over 100 engineers coming onboard. It’s a fulfilled week, with what we have been dreaming coming to reality,” he said.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Executive Director, Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute, Dr Daniel Ewuga Asele, said tye institution that was established in 2022 has so far graduated two sets of beneficiaries, with one of them getting a national award on ICT.
Dr Esele, who doubles as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Science and Technology, said the event was organized for Governor Sule to present cheques worth two hundred thousand naira to 40 best graduating trainees from the two batches produced by the institution, as well as present certificates to 105 participants of the pre-retirement training programme initiated by the Governor.
He particularly appreciated Governor Sule for approving for the institute to take over fully the ITF/NECA Technical Skills Development Project, and to convert it to the Nasarawa State Skills Empowerment Programme (NASSEP), with the first set of the programme graduating next week.
“You are the first Governor to have introduced pre retirement vocational skills for civil servants about to retire from government service. This is the only way to go. We have a total of 105, all from the civil service of Nasarawa State. They have been here for the past two weeks. They have been well trained, and we have also been feeding them for the past two weeks,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Head of the Civil Service, Abigail Waya, appreciated the Governor for giving citizens of the state skills with which they can make a living.
“This is not just a meal ticket. A meal ticket presupposes that it’s just for food. But this is beyond just food. With the skills we are being given, we can eat, build houses, educate our children, marry and we can do many other things. We can be a blessing to Nigeria, employ labour,” the HOS said.
She said civil servants in Nasarawa State never had it so good like under the present administration of Governor Sule.
“I am sure you have heard it countless times. We in the civil service never had it so good. We never had it so good with any Governor who has shown so much consideration for us. You are one person that cannot be flattered. Because flattery is saying good things about somebody that is basically lies. But there is nothing that we are saying about you today, that is not true. Everything we are saying is true. We are not just saying it just trying to sweeten you up. It’s a statement of fact. It’s what is happening in Nasarawa State. And we can’t but express our joy and gratitude,”