KDSG to pay N30,000 minimum pension this month

The Kaduna State Government will begin payment of N30,000 as the new minimum pension for its retirees who are on the old Defined Benefits Pension scheme this month.

A statement issued from Sir Kashim Ibrahim House,  emphasized that this decision will upgrade 11,511 pensioners who were previously earning less than N30,000 as monthly pension.

The  statement which was signed by Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser on Media and Communication, said that  all Government agencies have received a  circular from the office of the Head of Service to effect the new pension structure.

“Following the decision of the Kaduna State Executive Council to increase the minimum pension to N30,000 monthly, the Head of Service, Bariatu Y. Mohammed, has issued the necessary circular to government agencies to implement it from March 2020,’’ he said.

According to the Special Adviser, the circular directs ‘’the agencies to comply and implement the directive of the State Executive Council which recently reviewed upward the minimum pension in the state.’’

Adekeye quoted  from the circular which was issued on  March 11, saying that the increase is part of the State Government’s ‘’continuous efforts to ensure welfare for both serving and retired public servants.’’

The circular recalled that the decision was taken on February 3, 2020 by the State Executive Council and ‘’it is envisaged that the gesture would no doubt improve the living standard of this category of senior citizens.’’

The statement recalled that some of the  11,511 pensioners who will benefit from the new minimum pension  were receiving pensions as low as N3,000 before the increase.

Adekeye further said the decision aligns the minimum pension payable to retirees on the old Defined Benefits Scheme with the new national minimum wage.

“A report presented to the State Executive Council noted that as at November 2019,  6,452 of 10,815 State Government pensioners earned less than N30,000 as monthly pension. At local government level, 5,059 of 9,295 pensioners earned less than N30,000 monthly.

The Special Adviser pointed out that  the  11,511 beneficiary pensioners are now better off, ‘’although this upward review will cost the state an extra N200m monthly.’’

Adekeye  noted that Kaduna State had  began implementing a Contributory Pension Scheme on 1^st January 2017, adding that Pencom have assessed  the scheme highly.

‘’However, the state continues to discharge its obligations to workers who retired before that date, whose pensions are covered by the Defined Benefits Scheme,’’ he pointed out.