Kaduna State Government has send a high powered delegation to learn the positive pension policy of Jigawa State.
The Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Pension Bureau, Professor Salamatu Idris Isah disclosed this when she led the delegation to the office of the Jigawa State Head of Service, Alhaji Hussaini Ali on a one day study visit.
According to her, the visit concerned the pension scheme model adopted by Jigawa state in the last 20 years, to learn the positive Pension policy of Jigawa State.
Professor Salamatu Idris Isah further explained that, Kaduna state wanted to borrow a leaf from Jigawa State using such model with a view to improving its pension scheme.
Responding, the Jigawa State Head of Service Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila said the state contributory pensions scheme was initiated in 2001, going side by side with the public service pensions system being paid directly from government revenues.
He further explained that under the arrangement, civil servants in the state contribute 8 percent of their monthly basic salary, while the state government contributes 17 percent making a total of 25 percent.
He said all staff of state, local government councils and local education authorities were captured before their retirement period through the directorate for salary and pension administration.
Alhaji Hussaini Ali Kila further explained that, the Directorate for salary and pension administration is one of Jigawa state government’s agencies responsible for the preparation of payroll, screening, authentication of retirees and death benefit of workers through the use of electronic system.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa State and Local Governments Contributory Pension Scheme, Alhaji Kamilu Aliyu Musa said the state and local lovernment contributory pension scheme has appointed 10 Pension Fund Administrators PFAs, as contained in the National Pension Commission, PenCom, guidelines.
He said the State adopted the use of defined benefit scheme, instead of retirement savings accounts, RSA, which is as easy and simple for any retired or family of deceased workers to have access to their retired or death benefit without any hitch and the remittance fluctuated based on the number of retirements and deaths recorded in the work force.
Alhaji Kamilu Aliyu Musa said the state Pension Scheme has no record of ghost pensioners during the year under review or even since its inception.
The pension Boss added that, this is as a result of measures taken by the Board to curtail activities of commission agents, touts and staff of the Board.
Radio Nigeria reports that, the delegation visited the Directorate of Salary and Pension Administration and the State and Local Governments Pension Scheme where it was briefed about the activities of the Scheme by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Scheme, Alhaji Abdulaziz Abdulhamid.
END/USMAN MZ