By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The Leader of Organized Labour in Anambra State and the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Anambra State Council, Comrade (Sir) Humphrey Emeka Nwafor, has appealed to the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to urgently domesticate National Pension Commission, NPC, in addition to reviewing the State Pension Law to accommodate the stipulations of the NPC.
The Labour leader who delivered an address of welcome at a one-day sensitization workshop held at the NUT Secretariat, Awka, Anambra State, stated that the primary purpose of the event was to enable the state’s workforce to be abreast of the operations of the new innovative pension arrangements called Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, and to know what they would be expecting at the exit of service.
‘You will recall that the Anambra State Government introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in 2014 and 2015, enrolling the state workforce into the system.
‘However, since its inception, the leadership of the organized labour has remained actively engaged due to the government’s non-compliance with the fundamental provisions of the scheme, particularly in the areas of deductions and remittances.
‘For six years, 5 percent of worker’s salaries were deducted monthly in the name of the CPS, yet these funds were not remitted to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAS).
‘Ever more concerning was the government’s failure to pay its statutory 10 percent contribution while continuing to deduct from workers’ salaries without remittances. Faced with this anomaly, the organized labour had no choice but to demand the immediate suspension of these deductions until the government addressed the challenges hindering the proper implementation of the scheme in Anambra State.
The labour boss however commended Governor Soludo for stopping the 5 percent deductions.
‘Furthermore, the Governor set up a committee comprising representatives from both the government and labour to thoroughly investigate and address the concerns raised. The Committee has concluded its work and its report is currently with the Governor for necessary action.
‘Recognizing the need for greater awareness and understanding of the CPS, we deemed it essential to engage the National Pension Commission (NPC) in this workshop.
‘This platform provides an opportunity for workers to interact directly with experts and gain insight into the benefits, challenges, and operational framework of the scheme.
‘It is crucial for every worker to be well informed about their entitlements, the responsibilities of the government, and the roles workers must play to ensure that their years of service culminate in a secured retirement.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the Director General of NPC for approving and supporting this workshop, making it possible for us to gather here today. We also acknowledge the unwavering commitment of the State Head of Service, Lady Theodora Igwegbe, for prioritizing workers’ welfare.
Sir Nwafor also called on the State Government to consider organizing similar sensitization workshops for all workers before reintroducing the CPS, ostensibly to enable the workforce to fully understand the innovative pension scheme to foster trust and facilitate smooth implementation.
Also speaking, the Head of NPC in the state, Mrs Chiadika, threw sufficient light on the operational modalities of the Contributory Pension Scheme along with her officials who in turn responded to variegated questions from the audience.
Present at the workshop was the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. J.C. Achor, who represented the Head of Service and declared the workshop open; labour unit leaders from the organized private sector and universities; Chairman of NUP, Comrade Ugozor; NULGE; NUT; among others.
