Commissioner for Establishments, Training, and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle
• Upskills over 73,448 public servants
• Approves 100 percent loan increase for workers
Lagos State Government has said it paid N29,088,291,668.35 as accrued pension rights to 7,308 retirees in the last two years.
The Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs Ajibola Ponnle, said this at the 2021 ministerial briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
She disclosed that the money was paid between May, 2019 and April, 2021, adding that the government implemented the upward review of pension contributions into Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) from 7.5 per cent of employee contributions and 7.5 per cent employer contributions to 8 per cent employee contributions and 10 per cent employer contributions, which s affect electronic archiving of records of payments and vital pensioners’ documents for preservation and ease of reference.
She also explained how the entire public service witnessed capacity development despite restrictions on physically gathering, following the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic last year.
The commissioner revealed that over 73,448 public servants were trained in 2020 as against the yearly average of 3,000 trained employees.
She said the ministry leveraged on several online virtual platforms to embark on training programmes in a successive manner for the state’s employees.
She said: “A total of 3,101 officers were trained in 2020 across 98Ministries, Department, Agencies and Parastatals under the virtual training initiative comprising of 52 Grade Level 17 officers, 274 GL 16, 1023 GL 15, 901 GL 14, 9 and 851 GL 13.”
Ponnle further disclosed that the government paid N4,203,784,514.49 to pensioners in the state under the Defined Benefits Scheme otherwise known as ‘Pay As You Go’ from May 2019 to March 2021.
Ponnle stated that as part of commitment to the welfare of pensioners, Sanwo-Olu approved payment of 33 per cent increment for all State pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme and also paid the balance of the 25 per cent rent allowance for officers on Grade Level 07 and above who retired between May 2000 and August 2004.
Similarly, Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to staff welfare and conducive working conditions of all public servants to ensure effective and efficient service delivery in the state.
The Head of Service, Hakeem Muri- Okunola said this at the 2021 Ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration.
He said in fulfilment of the present administration’s efforts to strengthen institutional capacity of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), Sanwo-Olu had granted approval for the procurement and allocation of official vehicles to the newly appointed permanent secretaries, principal officers in the public services as well as utility vehicles for use of departments and agencies of government, saying that, this is in line with the security and governance pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda of the current administration.
Muri-Okunola stated that as a clear demonstration of the commitment of the administration to workers welfare, Sanwo-Olu has approved 100 percent increase of loan entitlement to public servants in various cadre, adding that the present administration has also presented ten brand new buses to public servants in different arms of government to ease transportation challenges encountered by workers in commuting to and from their homes to the office.
He stressed further that, there is an ongoing monumental renovation and facelift in various Staff quarters situated state –wide which has added to the aesthetics of our Resilient Mega City Lagos, with 821 apartments renovated and 526 maintained in Amuwo- Adofin, Badagry, Alausa, Ogba, Surulere, Ajah, Ikoyi, and Ikorodu axis in the State.
The HOS further said that the Lagos Public Procurement Agency (PPA) has integrated 55 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state on the e-Procurement platform to enhance the ease of doing business with the state government.