By Sunusi Usaini Madobi
Jigawa State and Local Government Contributory Pension Scheme Board is a body vested with responsibility for payment of pension, gratuity, and death benefit for those who retired from active service or died, while in service. It was established in 2005, and has excelled in the discharge of its responsibility in line with Pension Act and strict compliance to National Pensions Commission.
The board, under Comrade Sulaiman Adamu Kiyawa, Fellow, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria; Fellow, Nigeria Institute of Management; fellow, Institute of Certified Financial Analysts, has designed series of programmes to enhance service delivery. This makes payment of entitlements easier to benefitting retirees and families of those who died in active service, in addition to prompt payment of pension monthly.
The process begins with those who are retiring from service getting a three-month notice with approval from the State Civil Service Commission or Local Government Service Commission, approving his retirement which would be copied to his mother ministry.
The ministry would then review his entire employment documents: first offer of appointment, last promotion, record of service, previous promotions, pay slip, TNN form and declaration of age, before forwarding same to State Salary and Pension Directorate. The directorate would then process the benefits of the officer based on his grade level and years of service in accordance with constitutional provisions.
The office of the auditor general would thereafter check the officer’s records to ensure that he did not over stay in service and wasn’t owing government any loan. Then the Audit Department would forward the authentic record and amount of the officer to State and Local Government Contributory Pension for payment.
Interestingly, the board studies documents of retirees to ensure right things are done and on time; thus, payments are made monthly. 300 – 400 retirees collect their benefits monthly, including beneficiaries of death benefits. This has made service delivery easier with benefitting retirees, expressing joy and gratitude for receiving their benefits in time.
The board, in accordance with the Pension Act, has selected ten pension administrators to manage the contributory scheme to ensure equity, justice and fairness. To make things easier and harmonious, a pass book was designed by the board, with a desk officer in each ministry, department and agency to record the contributions of each staff on monthly basis in the pass book, while at the same time forwarding the information to the board for centralization and computerization of the whole process with relevant documents as stipulated by law, to ensure timely payment.
This year alone, the amount managed by the pension administrators belonging to the scheme runs into billions of Naira which makes the board to serve as a reference point to other states that pay visits regularly to understudy its sound initiatives.
Some retirees contacted at several payment points expressed satisfaction with the proper arrangements by the board for their payments, describing it as worthy of emulation, stressing the need for beneficiaries to continue co-operating with the board.
The introduction of numerous training and retraining programmes for staff has been identified as mainly responsible for the enhanced service delivery at all levels of the board.
A wide consultation led to the setting up of a technical committee to study and advise the board in line with laid down regulations of the Pension Act, so as to operate in line with international best practice.
The board’s membership comprising veteran administrators, financial analysts, and a seasoned administrator, no doubt, is of high calibre of professionals, which is also partly responsible for its success in all ramifications within a short period.
The current practice of prompt payment of retirement and death benefits has indirectly enhanced service delivery as civil servants are now encouraged that after retirement their benefits would be paid as at when due.
Accountability and fiscal discipline in all issues pertaining to financial commitment is another area of prime concern by the board as all financial commitments are being executed in strict compliance with constitutional provisions on the scheme in line with global best practice.
Likewise, the ICT unit, mandated to keep necessary data and e-activities of the board, is performing creditably as all data are kept in a well coordinated and organised manner.
Here, even the State Salary and Pension Administration Directorate, an agency vested with the responsibility of salary and pension payments, has commended the effort of the board in the discharge of its statutory responsibility, which makes payment of benefits well-organized and serves as a reference point for other states to emulate. Equally, the State Audit Department has expressed satisfaction with the fiscal discipline and accountability exhibited by the board.
The scheme, with about 11 years in operation, played a crucial role in enhancing the economic viability of the state by timely payment of benefits to deserving people, which helped the beneficiaries to organise their lives.
Functionaries of organized labour in the state, who are the major beneficiaries of the scheme, have on several occasions commended the excellent job of the board in addition to high sense of commitment exhibited.
Madobi wrote from Dutse
