Senior Civil Servants insist On Gratuity Payments at Retirement

Senior civil servants in Nigeria, under the umbrella of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have renewed their call for the payment of gratuities to public employees upon retirement. The ASCSN insists that no provision of the Pension Reform Act of 2014, as amended, prohibits or removes the right to gratuity payments for workers in both the public and private sectors.

In a communique issued at the conclusion of the Association’s 5th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference (NDC) held in Lagos, the ASCSN urged the government to reinstate the payment of gratuities to public service employees who have been unjustly denied this benefit, emphasizing that this is a matter of justice, equity, and fairness.

The NDC, attended by ASCSN members from various units, branches, and chapters across the 36 states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, concluded with strong appeals to the government. The communique, signed by the newly elected President, Shehu Mohammed, and confirmed Secretary General, Joshua Apebo, highlighted the disparity in gratuity payments between employees in federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and their counterparts in other government agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others, as well as in some state governments and private sector organizations.

The ASCSN argued that since the enactment of the Pension Reform Act in 2004, public service employees in federal MDAs have been unfairly excluded from receiving gratuities, despite their continued payment to employees in other government agencies and sectors. The Association called for the restoration of gratuity payments as a matter of urgency.

The communique also addressed the need to include pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the periodic review of pension increases, ensuring they benefit from adjustments similar to those under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). This, the ASCSN noted, aligns with Section 173(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that pensions be reviewed every five years or alongside any Federal Civil Service salary reviews, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the communique underscored the importance of addressing the high cost of living in the country. While acknowledging efforts by various levels of government to tackle issues such as hunger and poverty, the ASCSN urged further action in providing essential social amenities, including potable water, affordable housing and medical care, free education, low electricity tariffs, affordable food items, and reliable transportation. The Association emphasized that improving access to these services would significantly enhance the quality of life for citizens, particularly those with limited incomes.