By Francis Akinnodi,
Babatunde Ayedoju,
Adedotun Ajayi
& Samuel Edu
|
Lack of preparation, poor condition of civil servants after retirement, which turned many to beggars, ineffective pensions system and corruption have been identified as some of the factors why many civil servants in Nigeria fear retirement.
The Hope gathered that there have been increasing agitations by various Nigerian professionals and the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, demanding that the age of retirement and length of service in the entire public service, including the civil service, be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service.”
It was also gathered that some workers for fear of what to expect after retirement falsify their age to enable them spend longer years in service.
Those who spoke with The Hope on the issue noted that Nigerian retirees were no longer enjoying reasonable relief after retirement and hence reluctant to throw in the towel.
They insisted that the degrading symbolism that senior citizens now represent creates pre-retirement anxiety for their colleagues who are still in service and constituting a threat to their mental health.
They explained that since about the mid-1980s, things had gone sour as retirees were no longer assured of sustenance of livelihood on retirement, adding that they were often seen in the society in deplorable socio-economic conditions.
They contended that unless governments put some measures in place, many average workers who should go on retirement will remain in active service which will lead to stagnant productivity.
A retired Director in the Ondo State Local Government Service, Jola Badmos said non payment of gratuities on time and lack of adequate preparation by officers are big factors that make them falsify their ages.
He said some officers see 35 years as very long years and failed to do the needful.
According to Badmos, this category of officers are threatened by retirement.
A retired teacher, Mrs. Joy Fasan said fear of retirement is connected with the diminishing state of the economy.
Mrs. Fasan said : “Another explanation for this anxiety is non- payment of retirement benefits of retirees several years after retirement especially among state employed civil servants.
“While some are paid five to 10 years after retirement, the unlucky ones do not live to see theirs.
Also, another retired teacher, Mr. Anthony Adetawa said for some, it is the easy way out of unplanned retirement. He said the practice of age reduction in civil service reduces productivity .
Professor Simon Ehiabhi from the Department of History and International Studies, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko noted that many civil servants who depend mostly on salary are afraid to retire because government is not able to cater for even those who are still in service.
He, however, said that workers who have investments, usually, do not nurse the same fear about retirement that others have.
Dr Bayo Fasunwon from the Department of Political Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko pointed out that a lot of Nigerians are afraid of not getting their pension and gratuities after retirement, hence they are not ready to leave the service.
He said, “retirement in Nigeria means go and die. That’s why people are pushing for an extension of retirement age and also falsifying their ages. In Canada, people protested when their retirement age was extended, stating that they wanted to go home and rest. However, in Nigeria, people are pushing for their retirement age to be extended.”
Fasunwon, however, said that if people are sure that they will get their entitlements, some will go for voluntary retirement.
Also speaking, Dr Chris Ofonyelu from the Department of Economics, AAUA, stated that a lot of Nigerians know that what they would get after retirement is very small, compared to what they earned in the service, a situation akin to becoming unemployed.
He added that a lot of workers have gotten to the peak of their careers at the point of retirement, with a lots of benefits attached. He said that fear of losing such power and benefits would make workers in that category reluctant to leave the service.
Dr Ilesanmi Aiyedoju, a veterinarian, attributed it on uncertainties about life after retirement, saying, “While still in service, at least they can be sure of their monthly salaries which may probably be the only source of income, but after retirement, salary stops. Meanwhile, there’s no assurance of retirement benefits. So, most of the time, retired officers find life very difficult.”
