The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria on Thursday urged the National Assembly to redress the issue of gratuity in the new Pension Reform Bill, now before it.
The Secretary-General of the association, Mr Alade Lawal, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN recalls that the Pension Reform Bill, 2013, which is currently before the National Assembly, seeks to replace the Pension Act of 2004.
Lawal said that the union had observed that in the present Pension Act, workers’ terminal benefits were very low when compared to what it was under the 2004 Act.
"If you work for 35 years, instead of receiving something in the range of N12 million under the old arrangement, one gets about N5 million in the present Act.
"The new Pension Act gives you 25 per cent of your total sum and spreads the remaining 75 per cent over a period of 18 years.
"When the 18 years elapse, you are entitled to nothing and so you should go hungry or die.
"We are not happy with this arrangement as most of our members retire into penury and this does not augur well for us as a nation,’’ he said.
Lawal appealed to the National Assembly to ensure gratuity to a worker would provide for the well-being of the worker after retirement.
According to him, the issue of gratuity is very important because it is a form of handshake between you and the employer.
"Gratuity is to assist the worker to immediately settle down after retirement.
"It is to appreciate your efforts while you were in service.
"A certain percentage should be given by the employer to the employee, in addition to his monthly allowance.
"This will make the entire retirement benefits a little bit more meaningful,’’ he added. (NAN)
Source NAN
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