4th October, 2013
The Lagos State Government has begun the biometric verification of 9,234 pensioners who retired from the civil service and judicial service system.
The verification exercise is being carried out in 16 Local Government areas in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The exercise, which will last for two weeks, will see 9,200 retired civil servants and 34 retired judicial officers having their biometric data captured in order to ward off ghost pensioners.
Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, Mrs Florence Oguntuase, while declaring the verification open at the Ikeja Local Government on Wednesday disclosed that the state had 14,934 pensioners consisting of 9,200 retired civil servants, 34 judicial officers and 5,700 retired teachers.
She stated that the welfare of these retirees remained paramount to the state government, but noted that it is herculean managing the large number of retirees.
“As a government, we are not unmindful pensioners’ contribution to the development of the state. I therefore assure you all that no efforts would be spared on matters that affect our pensioners in Lagos State.
“On the recent protest by pensioners, the issues have been noted by the government. I wish to state that the Lagos State Government has been fulfilling her obligation to the pensioners in the old and new schemes; the state just issued N18.9 billion retirement benefits to her pensioners,” she stated.
Oguntuase said while recounting that the task ahead was enormous, government is consoled by the fact that it was on the right track as the monthly pension salaries of all pensioners are paid alongside that of the active staff, while complaints were resolved as they arose.
She enjoined all pensioners to cooperate with government officials who were ready to attend to their complaints and needs across the 16 designated centres during the verification exercise.
Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Pensions Office, Mrs Folasade Adesoye, said the biometric verification exercise marked the 5th in the series of government’s collective desire of making sure that the ‘Pay as you go’ scheme in Lagos State was not only sustained but seen as the envy of all Nigerians.
She urged the pensioners to abide strictly by the laws guiding the process of the verification exercise at the designated centres.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga