Ogun Assembly Summons Education Heads Over Impending Pension Scheme Rollout

The Ogun State House of Assembly has called a crucial meeting with the heads of all state-owned tertiary institutions and key government officials to address the forthcoming implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Those invited include the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of State Pensions, and the management teams of all state tertiary institutions.

The invitation was issued by the House Committee on Establishments and Public Service Matters, chaired by Hon. Babatunde Tella. The decision followed a joint meeting with the Ogun State Pension Fund Management Committee.

Hon. Tella explained that the engagement is necessary to resolve existing gaps in the scheme’s implementation framework. He added that the meeting would also review the progress made on the nine-point agenda outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) previously signed with organized labour.

“The Assembly will continue to work with the executive arm to resolve pending issues under the scheme,” Tella stated. He was joined by fellow lawmakers who collectively assured that the primary goal is to strengthen the Contributory Pension Scheme for the benefit of the state’s workforce.

Providing an update on the government’s progress, officials confirmed that seven of the nine agreements in the MOU have already been implemented.

Mrs. Ariola Adetayo, Permanent Secretary and Chairman of the Pension Fund Management Committee, along with committee member Alhaji Kunle Adegbite, noted that once the remaining issues concerning the update of beneficiaries’ PINs are resolved, payments will commence.

They reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to resolving all pension matters, describing the Contributory Pension Scheme as the best option when properly implemented.

The meeting was attended by a broad group of stakeholders, including permanent secretaries from various bureaus and leaders from major labour unions, including the Trade Union Congress, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Joint Negotiations Council.