ASCSN elects Shehu Muhammed as New President, wants inclusion of retirees in CPS

By allcitynews.ng

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has elected New National Executive to steer the ship of the association.

Just as the Association called on Federal Government for inclusion of retirees in civil service among the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The Secretary General of ASCSN, Comrade Joshua Apebo who made the call in Lagos stressed that the need to include retirees among the list so that they also will be able to enjoy the benefit of the scheme as a reason for his demand.

“We want Federal Government to include pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the review  of pension increases so that they could
benefit from such periodic upward review of pension rates like their colleagues who retired under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) in line with the provisions of Section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates that “pension shall be reviewed every five years or together with any Federal Civil Salary reviews, whichever is earlier.”

Likewise, the Association demanded for restoration of payment of gratuity and prompt payment for pensioners within the civil service in the country.

The peak of the Delegates Conference was the election of Comrade Shehu Muhammed as the new National President and Comrade Olubunmi Adebayo Fajobi as the Vice President respectively.

In his acceptance speech calling on all members to join hands in moving the union and the country forward, he further charged the members for unity and collaboration.

Earlier before the election, the union claimed that though the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team has been doing much in addressing the needs of the people, he still needs to do more to meet the yearnings of many hungry and angry people across the country.

Earlier, the ASCSN Secretary General, Comrade Joshua Apebo, made call for restoration of gratuity known during the Delegates Conference which took place in Airport Hotel, Lagos on Monday, 12 August 2024.

“The recent nationwide protests in the country showed that the prevailing economic hardship is affecting the broad spectrum of.the people. Although government have been doing their best to address the issue of hunger, poverty, insecurity, they need to do more in the area of providing social amenities such as portable water, affordable housing and medical care, free education, low electricity tariff, affordable food items, etc,  because if these are readily available, life will become more meaningful for most people with meagre income at their disposal.”

Moreover Apebo called on government to always address the concern of pensioners who had served the fatherland.

“Since the colonial era, gratulty have always been paid to Public Service employees as appreciation for meritorious service rendered to the Nation. However  the Pension Reform Act (PRA), 2004 was silent on the  of payment of gratuity to workers. Since the Act came into force, Public Service employee in Treasury Funded MDAs, and their counterpart in states that have adopted the new Pension Scheme have not been paid any form of gratuity whereas private sector workers and other non-treasury funded and revenue generating MIDAs such as CBN, NNPC, NCC, NIMASA, NPA etc, have continued to receive gratuity from their employers in spite of the enactme of the 2004 Pension Reform Act.

“We therefore, request that gratuity to Public Service employees in Treasury Funded MDAs should be restored without further delay.”

“Section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nig. amended) provides that “Pensions shall be reviewed every five years or toge any Federal Civil Service Salary reviews, whichever is earlier”.

In fact, part of the arrangement for persons transiting from the Defined Benefit Scheme Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is to recognize their rights under the scheme, including the constitutional rights to pension increases as provided under section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

The National salaries, incomes and wages commission had issued circulars for the implementation of pension increases of 2007 and 2010 and the consequential adjustments of 2019, for retirees under under the DBS, the same are yet to be extended to retirees under the CPS.”

Government to set up a committee to work out the consequential adjustment arising from the new National Minimum  Wage Act, 2024 as has always been the  practice so that no grade level of  workers will be shortchanged.  It also called for immediate implementation of the new minimum wage.

Furthermore, the association called on all state governments take necessary measures to blockwastages and leakages
in Government expenditure so that  they could implement the new National Minimum Wage to improve the standard of living of their citizens moreso because they have been receiving enhanced funds from the Federal Account Allocation Committee since  the removal of fuel subsidy in May, 2023.

The new executive is made up of:

National President, Comrade Shehu Muhammed, National Vice President, Comrade Olubunmi Adebayo Fajobi -National Vice President, Comrade Samson Ejike Okere – Comrade Onjeh Enewa – National Vice President, Comrade Archibong Etim Okon – National Vice President Comrade Adebayo Mubashiru Haroun-National Treasurer, Comrade Martin Bolum – National Internal Auditor, Comrade Shuaibu Afusatu – National Trustee,
Comrade Amodu O. Yinka Isiaka – Ex-offcio Member, Comrade Babayo Mohammed Hamma- Ex-offcio Member
Comrade Prince Excellent Efedhoma – Ex-officio Member, Comrade Mike Nwonu – Ex-officio Member, Comrade Balogun Babatunde – Ex-officio Member

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