The permanent secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi, says retiring State House workers are among the first set of federal civil servants to benefit from the newly approved gratuity scheme introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Mr Fashedemi spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a send-off ceremony organised by the State House for two retiring directors and two deputy directors, according to a statement by the State House.

Mr Fashedemi commended Tinubu for approving the reintroduction of gratuity payments for retiring federal civil servants in addition to pensions and other retirement benefits.

The Federal Executive Council approved the gratuity scheme in March, under which officers who have served for at least 10 years will receive a gratuity equivalent to one year’s basic salary upon retirement, effective January 1, 2026.

The scheme complements the Contributory Pension Scheme introduced in 2004 and follows recommendations from an inter-ministerial technical committee established by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

According to Mr Fashedemi, the policy is designed to ensure that public servants who dedicate decades of service to the nation receive adequate recognition and support at retirement.

“Mr President approved the introduction of gratuity for retiring civil servants, and some of you are among the first set of civil servants that will benefit from it,” he told the retirees.

He described retirement after 35 years of service or attainment of 60 years of age as a significant milestone deserving recognition and celebration.

“We take it that when people work hard for the government and put in all these years of service, they need to be recognised and celebrated.”

Mr Fashedemi added that the federal government remained committed to staff welfare under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan. He noted that the State House had institutionalised programmes to recognise outstanding officers during active service and at retirement.

He also commended the retirees for their professionalism, integrity and commitment to duty.

“It is not easy to do all this work and retire peacefully. All of you have successfully achieved that, and it is no mean feat,” Mr Fashedemi said.

The permanent secretary (General Services Office) at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ibrahim Kana, praised the retirees for their dedication to work.

Former Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr Nnamdi Mbaeri, also stressed the importance of dedication and hard work.

The director of administration at the State House, Abdulkadir Idris, described the occasion as a celebration of officers who had rendered meritorious service to Nigeria and wished them success in retirement.

(NAN)