Kogi State Government says it will commence full contributory pension scheme for civil servants in the state effective next year.

The Director-General, Kogi State Pension Commission, Hajiya Maryam Abedoh stated this in Lokoja at a sensitization workshop for civil servants.

Hajia Abedoh said the scheme embraced by the State Government is for the benefit of the civil servants urging them to key into it.

According to her the scheme which was domesticated by many states has been passed into law by the House of Assembly and assented to by Governor Yahaya Bello.

She noted that the operation of the Commission would be digitized as from next year for smooth administration and processing of pension and gratuities to remove all administrative bottlenecks.

Earlier, while declaring the 3-day workshop opened, the State Head of Civil Service, Mrs Hannah Odiyo said that the welfare of Civil Servants is of a high priority to the present administration hence the introduction of the contributory pension scheme.

Mrs Odiyo said the workshop is key to the success of the scheme and advised civil servants in the state to embrace it.

She commended Governor Yahaya Bello for kick starting the contributory pension scheme for Civil Servants in the State.

The Facilitator of the workshop, Hajia Habibat Ajoge who x-rayed the benefits of the scheme said the State contributory pension scheme is a product of the National Pension Commission and not subject to any form of manipulation.

Hajia Ajoge stressed that the money to be deducted will be invested into profit making ventures beneficial to the Civil Servants in latter years.

According to her, eight percent of civil servants monthly income deduction would be saved towards retirement with the State Government contributing additional ten percent as well.

She noted that the scheme will improve the livelihood of retirees and remove all bottlenecks that comes with payment of pension and gratuity.