The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to simplify the retirement process for Nigerian workers, particularly amidst the current economic difficulties facing the country.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this plea on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from XEM Consulting Limited, a subsidiary of XEM Group, organizers of the inaugural Pre-retirement Summit set to take place in Abuja from April 24 to April 25.
Ajaero highlighted that despite the discussions surrounding contributory pension schemes, there has been limited progress from regulatory bodies in addressing pertinent issues.
“Majority of the states have not started keying in, and one begins to wonder about the essence of enacting a law.
“Even when the law criminalized non-participation, no state has been prosecuted, fined or levied,” he said.
Ajaero regretted that pension matters in the country were becoming more about rhetoric than action.
He, therefore, urged the federal and state governments to take the issue of workers’ pensions seriously and ensure they enjoy life after retirement.
“Governments in this business are not just employers of labour, they are regulators, and if regulators are not doing anything, then there is a problem.
“We are the main victims; even when people retire, the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) find it difficult to pay them, thereby making it a difficult long journey to access their money,” Ajaero added.
