Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved the exception of workers who were recruited before 2017 from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Godwin Eshieshie, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Benin City, said the governor  gave the approval following outcry by pensioners. He added that the affected pensioners and workers would be returned to the Defined Benefit Scheme.

Eshieshie said the pension benefit of the affected pensioners and workers would be computed in line with the extant rules of the Scheme.

He reiterated that Civil and Public Servants recruited after 2017 remained part of CPS.

He said: “Government has put all necessary machinery in place to effect necessary amendments to give this approval.

“Governor Okpebholo has said he will not subject Edo State workers to denial of their entitlement. He will follow this exit from CPS assidiously with a draft bill to the Assembly for necessary amendment to the Pension Law.

“Without the amendment, it will not be easy to begin implementation of the exit. Within the next few weeks, we will make sure the amendment bill is sent to the Assembly  and as soon as it is passed, full implementation will commence.

“Governor Okpebholo has decided to implement this to save all pensioners receiving pittance.
He has sympathy for workers.”

Chairman, Pension Bureau, Washington Abbe explained that the delay for the approval was to work out the financial implication of the exit from CPS.

“We have looked at the possibility of getting the process to run seamlessly. The fear of retiring into poverty is over. The CPS was a death sentence. The PENCOM will be notified of the state government’s decision.”

Acting Chairman of Edo NLC, Comrade Bernard Egwakhide, commended Governor Okpebholo for listening to workers’ plight.

“We are happy that some persons sentenced to deathtrap have been relieved.”