FG earmarks N758bn to pay retirees’ pension backlogs

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, reassured Federal retirees of adequate plans to settle their outstanding pension and gratuities, disclosing that the Pension Bond bill worth over N750 billion is currently awaiting passage at the National Assembly.

Permanent Secretary, Welfare Services Office, Mrs. Patience Oyekunle made this known at the quarterly forum with organized unions in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) in Abuja.

The meeting aims to promote dialogue and engagement between the leadership and union representatives.

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Recall that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently approved the issuance of a N758 billion bond to offset outstanding pension liabilities for all categories of federal pensioners.

Speaking at the event, Oyekunle noted that the forum was convened to foster open dialogue between the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), and leadership of unions in the Ministries, adding that the meeting was one of many avenues to discuss matters related to staff welfare, conditions of service, and the challenges faced by Union Executives across Ministries.

She reiterated the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants, saying government is determined to bring relief to thousands of retirees who have waited for years to access their entitlements.

Oyekunle further noted that the meeting is part of government’s broader strategy to build and strengthen partnership with the workforce, while acknowledging that meaningful progress is best achieved through collaborative dialogue, shared responsibility, and sustained engagement.

She also disclosed plans of the government to scale up the free annual medical screening for civil servants, with at least 5,000 employees already benefiting from the scheme in Abuja.

Oyekunle expressed gratitude to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for her leadership and commitment to staff welfare.

She reaffirmed the commitment to ensure full implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021 – 2025, which identified Staff Welfare as pillar No 6, which the current government has so far invested in staff welfare matters.

She highlighted some of the key initiatives of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, aimed improving the welfare of workers and retirees to include: “approval of the Group Life Assurance for all Federal Government Employee by the Federal Executive Council.

“Resuscitated the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund for the effective implementation of the Employee Compensation Scheme.

“We have also repositioned the Wellness Centre in the OHCSF Complex for Free Medical Services. Free Consultations and Medication are given to patients that visited the centre,” the Permanent Secretary stated.

She also spoke on efforts of the government to reward excellence, saying the Rewards and Recognition Policy has been reviewed to entrench a performance driven culture that promotes excellence, innovation, dedication, and high productivity across the Service.

Chairman, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation staff Union, Comrade Chika Ukachukwu, commended the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation for bringing Union leaders to dialogue on issues which border on the welfare of workers.

She, however, called on the government to do more on improving the welfare of civil servants to cushion the current economic hardships being faced by workers and other Nigerians in the country.

Executive Secretary, Federal Government Housing Loans Board, Salamatu Ahmed, on her part, said government through her office is working at providing affordable housing for public servants.

“We are partnering now with so many stakeholders in the housing industry, like Federal Mortgage Bank. We discovered that they have a lot of funds for mortgage financing. So we, we are trying to partner with them so that the civil servants can be able to assess the loan,” she said.