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Lagos State Government remits N78.59bn into Workers’ RSA’

By Bankole Orimisan
11 December 2017   |   4:23 am
About 10 Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) as at the end of the first quarter in March, received N78.593billion into the Lagos State employees’ Retirees Savings Accounts (RSA).

Honourable Commissioner of Establishment, Training and Pension, Lagos State. Dr. Akintola Benson-Oke

About 10 Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) as at the end of the first quarter in March, received N78.593billion into the Lagos State employees’ Retirees Savings Accounts (RSA).

This was asserted by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, at a Public Lecture Award 2017, organised by the Peninscope Professional Warranty Limited, where he was conferred with the ‘Award for Excellence on Pension Matters.

The Governor said the state government had never failed to remit monthly contributions into the workers’ RSAs, which had grown to N78.59billion as at March this year.

Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Benson Oke, added that the government had been consistent in setting aside funds for the payment of accrued rights, as provided in the Pension Reform Law.

According to him, the State Government had paid accrued pension rights of about N61billion since the commencement of the Retirement Benefit Bond Certificate Presentations in 2010.

“With the institution of such elaborate schemes by the Lagos State Government, it is not surprising that retiring public officers now look forward to retirement with more confidence and joy,” he said.

He said the present administration was irrevocably committed to the welfare of pensioners, as well as the dutiful discharge of pension obligations and the regular reform and retooling of government’s pension systems from time to time.

Ambode said the Lagos State Pension Reform Law now allowed for the maintenance of a RSA by each employee, which gave workers responsibility over their retirement savings, as pensioners would no longer be at the mercy of employers.

“In addition, RSA maintained by millions of workers tend to generate massive long-term funds, which were available for investment. Owing to economies of scale, the cost of investing such funds tends to be relatively lower than if an individual worker was to undertake the investment on his or her own account,” he said.

According to him, the health of the economy is a major concern of the government, explaining that aside from the potential to promote national savings, and by implication economic growth, funded pension schemes had the capacity to promote capital market development. He added that it was often argued that funded schemes had the capacity to promote economic reforms generally.

The Convener, 2017 Peninscope Public Lecture, Award and Magazine launch, Peter Adediji, said Ambode had displayed integrity in running the affairs of the state since he took over power in 2017.

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