Cross River State Committed To Key Into New Age of Technology, says Governor Otu

By Our Reporter 

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River has stated the administration's commitment to key into the new age of digitalization for optimal  service delivery.

Governor Otu, who stated this while declaring open a one day sensitization program on the benefits of implementing the Contributory Pension Scheme, organized by the ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions held at the Transcop hotel in Calabar, said the state would not be left behind in the digitalization wind blowing across the world.

The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor  John Owan Enoh, said it is imperative for the state to seriously consider Contributory Pension Scheme as a  factor in the welfare of civil servants in the state.

Governor Otu said that the aptness of the event is anchored on the desire of his administration to identify and domesticate any iota of programs that would create an atmosphere of succour to his people as against the hitherto laborious and cumbersome manner of the management of pensions in the state.

He said: "It is  on account of the analog system with its attendant delays, inordinate coordination and other unfortunate factors that many beneficiaries died untimely without accomplishing their dreams of enjoying their entitlements on retirement.

"This program, therefore, was packaged to sensitize the workforce as one of the processes of considering the implementation of the scheme in the state."

Earlier in an opening remarks, the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Hon.Mrs. Lawrencia Ita, enjoined state workers and other stakeholders to actively participate in the program which has  the potentials of ushering in freshness in pension administration in the state.

"We recall the proactive nature of state administrators in the past especially that which introduced the smart card system which was vehemently opposed but later became a frame of reference for the country at large. 

"We advise those viewing the proposal from the negative point of view to reassess their stance and be disposed to modernity and the technological drive of Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu's administration."

Speaking also, the chairman of the occasion and president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, commended the state government for beginning a process loaded with potentials of huge benefits to workers of the state and added that NLC at the national level has embraced the program based on the convincing evidence of effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

 He advised that stakeholders should without bias digest the proposed policy already captured by the federal government and domesticated in several states because it has multi-faceted benefits accruing to the employers and the employees.
 
Ajero maintained that the policy is reliable, transparent and eliminates ghost workers as well as give retirees the confidence and assurances for prompt payment of pensions.

Speaking on the topic, "Overview of the Contributory Pension Scheme, Challenges and Milestone Achieved," the Director General, National  Pension Commission, who was represented by Mr Clement Oyetola Akintola, revealed that the scheme came into fruition due to the collosal failure of the past approaches which became a liability to both government at all levels and the beneficiaries. 

He maintained that was principally occasioned by uncertainties, insensitivities, inconsistencies and cumbersomeness  which led to the death of many retirees, adding that the old system was tied to the annual budgets which in most cases was not realistic leading to deficits affecting  regular payment of  pensions, whereas the new system is totally devoid of such uncertainties. 

The Director General  disclosed that 35 states and the FCT have enacted laws on the Contributory Pension Scheme and hoped that Cross River would soon be part of the program.

In a remark, the Senior Special Adviser and State Coordinator, AUDA NEPAD and Lead Facilitator for the Implementation of the CPS, Dr Prince, Michael Nku Abuo, re-emphasized that the state Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, was passionate about injecting modernity in the pension management in the state in order to remove all the encumbrances associated with the old scheme.