By Stella Odueme
The Ministry of Regional Development has celebrated 24 retiring staff members, urging them to remain active and continue contributing their knowledge and experience to society after leaving the public service.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Mary Ada Ogbe, made the call on Wednesday at a retirement ceremony organised in honour of the retirees.
According to a statement by the Head, Information and Public Relations, Sani Datti’, Ogbe said the Federal Government and the Ministry appreciated the retirees for their years of dedication, commitment and contributions to national development.
She acknowledged the challenges associated with the transition from active service to retirement and urged the retirees to make use of the welfare packages and severance benefits available to them.
“We are celebrating 24 retirees this morning. We celebrate you, and we are grateful for your commitment, dedication, and service to the nation,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary also encouraged the retirees to continue sharing their knowledge, experience and perspectives in ways that could benefit the Ministry and the country.
“To those who worked directly with me, I sincerely thank you for your patience, understanding, and support throughout our time together,” she added.
In her welcome address, the Director of Human Resources Management, Mrs Tabitha Dagyol, described the retirees as the reason for the gathering, commending them for their loyalty, integrity and commitment to national service.
She noted that some of the retirees had served for more than three decades, contributing to policy implementation, mentoring younger officers and keeping the Ministry functioning through challenging periods.
“You have written your names in the history of this Ministry,” Dagyol said.
According to her, the retirees had served at different grade levels and cadres, including the Directorate, Administrative, Technical and Support cadres.
She said the retirees had contributed to the evolution of the Ministry from its formative stage as the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to its present expanded mandate as the Ministry of Regional Development.
“Each one of you carried a brick in building this Ministry from its formative stage as the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to its present expanded mandate as the Ministry of Regional Development. Your footprints are indelible,” she said.
Dagyol described retirement as a transition into a new chapter of life, providing an opportunity for rest, family engagement, community service and personal pursuits.
She also urged serving officers to learn from the retirees by remaining punctual, diligent and committed to leaving the Ministry better than they found it.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, a former Director of Finance and Accounts, Akpan Etop Andy, thanked the Ministry’s management for organising the ceremony.
Andy urged serving staff to remain kind and supportive towards their colleagues, saying such gestures would help determine how they would be remembered after retirement.
