HoS lauds Akeredolu on workers’ welfare

Ondo State Head of Service, HoS, Barr. Toyin Akinkuotu has commended the Governor of the State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, for prioritising the welfare of workers in the state.

Akinkuotu who gave the commendation in a statement while welcoming civil servants from the Easter break, recalled that the Governor had during his first prayer meeting with workers in the State, promised to do everything possible to give welfare of workers priority, a promise he has been fulfilling through payment of salaries as at when due.

He noted that the Governor, after the payment of February and March salaries, also paid August arrear, and has set up a committee to look into how the remaining arrears could be paid, a development that confirms his commitment to ensure that workers live comfortably.

Welcoming civil servants from the Easter break, the HoS thanked them for their cooperation and dedication to duty.

He urged them to exhibit diligence, commitment and dedication to duty in appreciation of the good gesture of the current administration, noting that “to whom much is given, much is expected”.

Also, Akinkuotu stressed the need for workers to embrace the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, noting that it will earn them many opportunities by having retirement savings package.

The HoS, in an interview explained that the objective of the scheme is to ensure that every worker in the State receives retirement benefits as at when due, empower workers and assist them to save in order to cater for their livelihood during retirement.

He noted that most public sector schemes were unsustainable due to a weak and inefficient administration of the scheme, like old pension scheme referred to as Defined Benefits Scheme unsustainable, hence the need to embrace the new one which is to correct the anomalies inherent in the old one.

Akinkuotu noted that in year 2014, the State approved its own law on Pension Reform and since that time, the implementation has started schematically with all workers recruited from that period.

He added that a lot of progress have been made through creation of Ondo State Pension Commission with the appointment of Director General and Pension Fund Administration to register workers for the scheme.

Also speaking, the Director General of the State Pension Commission, Mr. Jaiyeola Olowosuko said it is very pertinent to have an interactive session with all salary officers from all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs to ensure a hitch free process of deductions and prompt remittance into Retirement Saving Accounts (RSAs), in line with the stipulated law and to clear the grey areas with workers recruited from 2014.