Need for Civil Servants to Plan ahead of Retirement

Anything that has a beginning must have an end, just like there is time to be born and time to die.

For anyone in the Civil Service, the countdown begins once an employment letter is given and after spending approved years of service, disengagement letter is given and the agile workers turn to retirees, who have transformed from the young, vibrant and energetic individuals they were at the point of entry to old, wrinkled, weak, and perhaps, tired people at the point of their exit as public servants.

It is a must for civil servants to vacate their cherished and highly coveted offices for another phase of life outside the comfort zone of work either in the public or private sector.

Unfortunately, the world outside is sometimes frustrating, harsh, and uncertain for many retirees who are now forced to be on their own.

The experience can be hell on earth if one is not careful as monthly salaries, running cost, travel and duty tour allowances, access to banks and cooperative loans with salaries as collateral are no longer available.

 Worse still is the delay in the payment of gratuities, and if paid eventually at all, it is grossly inadequate to cater for bills, rents, feeding and other sundry expenses.                                                                                                      

This had cut short the life span of many retirees due to heavy burden and challenges of day-to-day living, though few retirees are lucky to maintain their status in retirement as a result of financial background.                                                    

But despite all these scary but realities of life, there is still hope.

To ensure graceful retirement, civil servants while in service should be disciplined, courageous, determined and prayerful even before their exit from service.                                                                                         

 The slogan of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, which is ‘rest is sweet after labour’, is very instructive. If you must have sweet rest after labour, start planning ahead of retirement.                              

This can be done by setting aside certain amount of money from your monthly salary, no matter how meagre for saving every month and this demands discipline and self-denial.

All legitimate income must be judiciously utilized, especially in the area of shelter.

Utilizing credit facilities while still in service can assist to make retirement comfortable and less painful.

Also, civil servants should invest more in getting good education for their children, who are expected to take care of their parents after retirement.

 Government must be transparent in the remittance of monthly pension of civil servants to their retirement savings account.

Above all, payment of gratuities and pensions must be paid immediately after disengagement.

Tayo Sanni