By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has urged 26 states of the federation to implement the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for a pension-secure Nigeria.

This is coming as the commission commended Lagos, FCT, Osun, Kaduna, Ekiti, Edo, Ondo, Delta, Benue, Anambra, and Jigawa for their exemplary implementation of the CPS as of December 2024.

According to the statement by the commission, these states have set the benchmark for sustainable pension administration by ensuring that retirees receive their entitlements promptly. They are consistently remitting both employer and employee pension contributions under the CPS, Jigawa State remits contributions under the Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme (CDBS).

The Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, in Section 2(1), stipulates that the CPS applies to all public sector employees across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), states, local governments, and the private sector.

The statement said that state governments have the constitutional right to legislate pension matters within their jurisdictions in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The agency said state governments were required to domesticate the CPS by enacting appropriate pension laws within their states.

In August 2006, the National Council of States adopted the CPS for all states and local governments to support this adoption, PenCom developed a Model State Pension Law, enabling state governments to modify it according to their unique needs.

According to the statement, PenCom reviews draft state pension laws and guides states throughout the implementation process.

The commission said that many states were yet to implement the CPS.

“For a state to implement the CPS in full, the state is required to enact a law on CPS, establish a Pension Bureau, register its employees with Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and commence remittance of pension contributions.

“The state is also required to carry out actuarial valuation, commence funding of accrued pension rights, procure group life insurance for its employees, and open and fund a retirement benefits bond redemption fund account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or PFA,” the statement said.

The commission said that some states had enacted laws to adopt the CPS but have not yet made significant strides towards implementation.

The states include Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara.

PenCom urges these states to accelerate their efforts toward full implementation of the CPS by timely remittance of both employer and employee pension contributions.

The statement said that by taking decisive action, these states can align with the pacesetters in ensuring a secure and sustainable retirement scheme for their workforce.

According to the statement, PenCom observes that Akwa Ibom, Borno, Kwara, Plateau, Cross River, and Yobe are yet to commence the implementation of the CPS.

“PenCom strongly encourages these states to expedite the enactment of their CPS laws and take immediate steps toward full implementation to ensure a secure and sustainable pension system for their workforce.”

It added that the transition from the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) to the CPS at the state and local government levels is both a significant and inevitable step.

The scheme was designed to ensure that all retirees receive their benefits in a timely manner, providing a sustainable and secure retirement for all public sector employees.

The commission said that the CPS offers a long-term solution to the pension liabilities that many states currently face.

PenCom warned that failure to adopt the CPS would worsen pension debts, creating financial burdens for future administrations.

“By failing to address pension arrears, states are inadvertently creating a financial burden for future generations, as these liabilities will continue to grow.

“Adopting the CPS now will help states avoid these escalating costs and provide a more secure financial future for both retirees and taxpayers,” it added.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has come under fire from the camp of President Bola Tinubu over his criticism of the latter’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

President Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Mr Olusegun Dada, regarded the former president as “Nigeria’s grandfather of hypocrisy trying to whitewash his bad democratic records.”

While commenting on the Rivers issue in Abuja on Monday, Mr Obasanjo said, “Democracy is not about power grabbing illegally and telling victims to go to court.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in what appears to be a rebuttal, Mr Dada stated that the former president is attempting to exonerate himself from blame for how bad the nation’s democracy has become.

“Coming to Obasanjo’s remarks at the Ihedioha Colloquium, it is obvious that OBJ is trying every trick possible to whitewash his bad democratic records by trying to exonerate himself from blame for how Nigeria’s democracy has fared.

“It is shocking to many who were adults during the Obasanjo 1999-2007 era to hear OBJ preaching that democracy is not about power grabbing illegally and telling victims to go to court. He even said democracy is dying in Nigeria.

“This is the same OBJ that turned himself into a kingmaker and a demigod in his second term in office between 2003-2004. Anybody who disagreed with him became prey.

“Obasanjo is simply the grandfather of hypocrisy in Nigeria at the moment.

“This is an OBJ who worked with his then VP, Atiku Abubakar to steal opposition states for PDP thanks to their job man, Prof. Maurice Iwu who was INEC Chairman.

“OBJ made sure incumbent governors of Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, and Oyo states who all belonged to AD were rigged out using federal might. Only Lagos survived the rigging onslaught.

“Atiku himself later willingly confessed publicly how they spared only Lagos governed by Bola Tinubu in the South West that was formerly controlled by AD as of 1999,” Mr Dada’s post read.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1, 2025, have been declared as public holidays by the federal government to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

A statement on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Ms Magdalene Ajani, confirmed that the two days are work-free to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.

On March 1, 2025, Muslims in Nigeria joined the others across the globe for this year’s annual 30-day fast. It will end this weekend.

In the statement, the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was quoted to have congratulated Muslims across the country on the successful completion of the Ramadan, urging them to embrace the virtues of self-discipline, compassion, generosity, and peace.

He reportedly “encouraged citizens to celebrate safely and responsibly, while remembering the less privileged through acts of kindness and charity, in keeping with the true spirit of Ramadan and Eid.”

“On behalf of the federal government, he extended heartfelt Eid Mubarak wishes to all Muslim faithful and prayed that the blessings of the season bring happiness, success, and fulfilment to everyone,” the statement noted.