By Chesa Chesa
Retiring staff members of the State House will be among the first beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s newly approved gratuity scheme for civil servants, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Temitope Peter Fashedemi, has disclosed.
Fashedemi made this known on Thursday in Abuja during a send-off ceremony organised in honour of two retiring directors and two deputy directors of the State House.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the reintroduction of gratuity payments for retiring federal civil servants in addition to their pensions and other retirement benefits.
The Permanent Secretary recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in March 2026 approved a new gratuity scheme for federal workers as part of efforts to strengthen retirement benefits and improve workers’ welfare.
Under the scheme, civil servants who have served for a minimum of 10 years will receive a gratuity equivalent to one year’s basic salary upon retirement. The policy, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, complements the Contributory Pension Scheme introduced in 2004, which did not provide for gratuity payments.
According to Fashedemi, the approval followed recommendations by an inter-ministerial technical committee set up by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
He said the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to recognising and supporting public servants who have dedicated decades of service to the nation.
“Mr. President approved the introduction of gratuity for retiring civil servants, and some of you are among the first set of civil servants that will benefit from it,” he told the retirees.
Fashedemi described retirement after 35 years of service or upon attaining the age of 60 as a significant milestone worthy of celebration and recognition.
“We take it that when people work hard for the government and put in all these years of service, they need to be recognised and celebrated,” he said.
He noted that the policy aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to staff welfare and enhanced value proposition for civil servants, one of the key pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25).
The Permanent Secretary added that the State House had institutionalised programmes aimed at recognising exceptional officers during active service and at retirement in line with ongoing civil service reforms.
He praised the retirees for their professionalism, dedication and integrity, noting that they served the nation with distinction.
“It is not easy to do all this work and retire peacefully. All of you have successfully achieved that, and it is no mean feat,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, commended one of the retirees, Mr. Francis Isa Wasa, Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), for his professionalism and strong work ethic.
Kana described Wasa as a dedicated officer with excellent human relations and wished all the retirees success in their future endeavours.
In his remarks, former Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Nnamdi Mbaeri, paid tribute to Wasa, describing him as a dependable and highly professional officer.
The retirees honoured at the ceremony were Mr. Francis Isa Wasa, Director of ICT; Mrs. Adenike Akintola, Director of Internal Audit; Mr. Esiyede Godwin, Deputy Director, Library and Archives; and Mr. Bukar Usman Goni, Deputy Director, Finance and Accounts, who was unavoidably absent.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, Wasa expressed appreciation to the State House management for organising the send-off ceremony and recognising their years of service.
