Key Points
- Retired pension officer Maria Etukudoh has called for better wages for workers and reforms to pension administration.
- She said many retirees still face delays and hardship while waiting for their benefits.
- Etukudoh urged government to protect workers during service and ensure financial security after retirement.
- She acknowledged recent efforts by the Federal Government to clear some outstanding pension obligations.
Main Story
A retired pension officer, Mrs Maria Etukudoh, has called on the government to improve workers’ living wages and strengthen Nigeria’s pension system to ensure public servants enjoy decent livelihoods during their careers and financial security after retirement.
Etukudoh made the appeal at a reception held to mark her retirement from the Federal Civil Service after 25 years of service, where she reflected on her experience in pension administration and the welfare of retired workers.
Having served as Head of the Pension Unit at the Federal Ministry of Finance, she said years of dealing directly with pensioners exposed her to the difficulties many retirees encounter while trying to access their entitlements.
She said a humane pension system should extend beyond the payment of retirement benefits to protecting the dignity and changing welfare needs of pensioners.
According to her, delayed pensions and retirement benefits have left some former public servants in distress despite decades of service to the country.
Etukudoh said she had witnessed pensioners waiting for long periods at government offices in the hope of receiving their benefits, describing such experiences as deeply troubling.
She urged governments at all levels to place greater emphasis on the welfare of both serving and retired workers, arguing that prompt payment of pensions would restore confidence in the public service and encourage younger Nigerians to pursue careers in government.
The retired pension officer, however, acknowledged efforts by the current Federal Government to address some outstanding pension obligations.
She said recent steps to pay some pensioners and proposals to improve contribution rates and exit benefit schemes offered hope that the system could improve further.
Etukudoh added that adequately compensating workers during their years of service and after retirement would encourage greater commitment and productivity within the public sector.
Her husband, Prof. Nkereuwem Etukudoh, Provost of the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, paid tribute to her years of service, describing her retirement as the culmination of decades of dedication to her family and the nation.
He said she would remain active in contributing to society despite leaving the civil service.
The Issues
Etukudoh’s comments highlight continuing concerns about workers’ welfare and pension administration in Nigeria. She argued that protecting public servants should not end when they retire, but should include fair wages while in service and a pension system capable of delivering benefits promptly and with dignity.
What’s Being Said
“The experiences of many pensioners is heartbreaking. The country must urgently reform its pension administration, improve workers’ welfare and provide a living wage capable of sustaining public servants before and after retirement.” – Mrs Maria Etukudoh, retired Head of the Pension Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance.
“There is hope. In this present administration, efforts have been made to pay some outstanding pensioners. There are also plans to improve contribution rates and strengthen exit benefit schemes.” – Mrs Maria Etukudoh, retired Head of the Pension Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance.
What’s Next
Etukudoh urged authorities to build on ongoing pension reforms by ensuring prompt payment of retirement benefits, improving workers’ living wages and strengthening the welfare framework for pensioners.
Bottom Line
The retired pension officer said lasting reform of Nigeria’s pension system must go hand in hand with better wages for workers and stronger protections to ensure public servants are treated with dignity both during service and in retirement.
