The Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Mni, has reiterated the commitment of the present Administration to retire Civil Servants with full grace and respect upon attaining retirement through an efficient exit system.
She stated this on Tuesday 15th May, 2018, at the pre-retirement training programme organized by the Service Welfare Office, in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja. She said more is in line with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her “One of the key areas in the on-going reform in the Federal Civil Service, which is being implemented through the 2017–2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is the development of a system that takes care of the well being of Civil Servants from entry into the Service, to exit and beyond”.
In this regard, an Exit Management Programme anchored on training prospective retirees in Agri-business, Entrepreneurial Skills, Health and well-being, Financial literacy and Managerial skills, has been put together for Federal Civil Servants.
Walson-Jack, noted that besides preparing Civil Servants for life after service, a distinguishing feature of the programme is the Agricultural component which keys into the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the present Administration. Beyond that, the Programme equally aligns with the 1999 Constitution and the Public Service Rules which permit Civil Servants to engage only in farming while still in service. She said.
She explained further, that the Exit Management Programme has various constituents and the pre-retirement training which has kick started with a pilot scheme, is just one of them. She added that the training provides an opportunity for a smooth transition into retirement and covers a broad spectrum of key issues facing employees who are about to retire. These include work options, health and well being, financial and legal matters and the general impact of retirement on retirees and their friends and family.
“The essence of the training is to provide employees with information to assist them in making sound decisions in preparation for retirement and to help boost morale among the work force as it demonstrates our sense of value for employees at this stage of their career”. She said.
She noted that people view retirement with mixed feelings but stressed that retiring from Service need not become something to dread, “participants are encouraged to recognize that they have transferable skills that can be deployed into other ventures after retirement” adding that with the training, prospective retirees can become successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour.
The Permanent Secretary used the occasion to appeal to the corporate world and development partners to key into the vision of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation by supporting the exit management programme through collaboration and sponsorship.
Responding, participants who were randomly picked from various Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), were highly elated and full of commendation for the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for the worthy enterprise and rich course content of the training. They unanimously opined that the programme should be institutionalized towards ensuring a fulfilling retirement.
Ogunmosunle,O.A.
Director Press& Media Relations
Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
