By Elizabeth Oyeniwa
The Ondo State House of Assembly has promised to work closely with relevant agencies to improve the lives of retirees in the state.
This promise was made during a visit to the Ondo State Pension Commission in Akure and Public Service Training Institute at Ilara, by the House Committee on Human Capital Development, Labour, Productivity, and Pension.
The committee led by its Chairman Hon. Tope Agbulu, praised the state government and the commission for their efforts in successfully implementing the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The committee members emphasized the need for orientation and sensitization programs to educate retirees about the benefits of the scheme.
They also urged the commission to collaborate with other stakeholders to decentralize the registration process and make it more accessible to retirees.
The committee stressed the need for the commission to work with the state’s pension board and local pension board to fast-track the payment of retirees’ benefits.
Earlier, the Director General of the Ondo State Pension Commission, Mr. Babatunde Adefusi-Owate, had highlighted the agency’s achievements, including being recognized as one of the top-performing states in the country by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
The Director General also listed some of the commission’s challenges, including automating its pension management software, getting tertiary institutions to comply with the Contributory Pension Scheme, limited logistics and operational capacity, and the need for autonomy and review of its laws. He urged the committee for their assistance wherever possible.
During a separate visit to the Public Service Training Institute (PSTI), the committee members sought the institute’s cooperation in identifying areas where they could address challenges.
They emphasized the importance of marketing and advertising the institute’s programs to attract more participants and generate revenue.
The Permanent Secretary/Director General of PSTI, Mr. Olumide Asere, thanked the committee for their visit and expressed his appreciation for their understanding of the institute’s activities.
He highlighted the importance of manpower development and the role that PSTI plays in providing training and capacity-building programs for public servants.
While emphasizing the need for the institute to be proactive in promoting its programs and facilities, the Director general also hinted that the institute had been recognized as one of the best CBT centers in the state and that they had invested heavily in ICT infrastructure.
The Director General also listed some of the institute’s challenges, including inability to access funds, poor patronage from ministries and agencies, shortages of manpower, infrastructure deficits, and sought the committee’s intervention where possible
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