Cross River seeks partnership with PENCOM on 2,000 houses for workers

Cross River State government says it intends to involve the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) in a strategic partnership to develop 2,000 housing units for civil servants in the state.

The state governor, Liyel Imoke, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the South-South zonal office of PENCOM in Calabar, the state capital, called on the commission to use part of its investible funds of over N3.34 trillion to partner state governments as its prime customers to enable them execute infrastructure projects.

The governor said this would enable states embark on meaningful infrastructure development and ensure returns were made rather than place it in the hands of individuals or the private sector, adding that the opening of the office in Calabar marked the beginning of better life and opportunities for pensioners in the South-South zone.

According to him, “this, no doubt, would make the states, local governments, workers, retirees, corporate bodies, and other agencies in the South South be on the vanguard for the implementation of the contributory pension scheme.”

He said the governments and people of the zone were happy to be identified with the key objectives of the new scheme, adding that “the achievements of the contributory pension scheme in the eight years of existence are unparalleled when one considers the fact that, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the pension scheme was able to generate a pool of investible funds of over N3 trillion, which has been invested in various financial institutions.”

The governor suggested the enactment of an appropriate legislation and enlightenment to enable civil servants understand the benefit of the scheme, explaining that the pool of pension funds was a potential platform for attaining the transformation agenda of government in the provision of infrastructure, energy, employment generation and the development of the real sector of the economy.

The governor noted that the scheme was also worthy of commendation as the large number of workers would be entitled to their retirement benefits as and when due, while observing that the office would end the need for people to travel to Abuja on pension matters.

“This will grant them easy access to the services provided by the commission and facilitate various sensitisation and public enlightenment on the new pension scheme,” he said.

Chinelo Anaho-Amazu, PENCOM’s acting director-general, said they thought it expedient to establish zonal office in all the six geo-political zones as a way of decentralising their activities and thus bring the administration of pension closer to the government and people.

Anohu-Amazu remarked that it was their expectation that retirees, active workers and other stakeholders would tap into the opportunities offered by the Calabar office to lodge their complaints, seek education and demand for sensitisation and other awareness programmes, adding that “the opening of the South-South zonal office will, no doubt, create the needed awareness and thus motivate buy-in from stakeholders in the region.”