Lagos Begins Verification of Directly Recruited Retirees to Enhance Transparency, Welfare

 

From  Left, the Head,  Research & Development, Department, Mrs. Funmi Owolabi, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwagbemiga Aina and Director, Administration and HR, Mrs. Folashade Salako.

The Lagos State Government has commenced a comprehensive verification exercise for directly recruited retirees across its parastatals, agencies, and government-owned companies, in a move aimed at strengthening accountability, improving data integrity, and ensuring the seamless administration of retirees’ benefits.

Speaking at the maiden edition of the exercise, the Permanent Secretary in the Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO), Dr Oluwagbemiga Aina, described the initiative as a critical milestone in the state’s ongoing public service reforms. He noted that the exercise was designed not only to update records but also to reinforce transparency and efficiency in the management of post-service entitlements.

According to him, the verification process would help reconcile existing records, eliminate discrepancies, and establish a credible and reliable database of retirees, thereby enhancing planning and service delivery across the affected institutions.

“This exercise is not merely administrative; it is a deliberate effort to ensure that our records are accurate, our processes are credible, and that every directly recruited retiree receives their rightful entitlements in a timely and seamless manner,” Aina said.

The Permanent Secretary acknowledged the invaluable contributions of retirees to the growth and development of Lagos State’s parastatals and agencies, stressing that the government remained committed to upholding their dignity through efficient and transparent benefit administration.

“Our retirees have devoted years of dedicated service to the system. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that their records are properly documented and that their post-service benefits are managed with integrity and precision,” PS added.

He further commended the collaboration of various parastatals and agencies involved in the exercise, noting that their collective efforts underscored a shared commitment to building a more responsive and accountable public service.

Addressing the retirees, the Permanent Secretary called for their full cooperation, assuring them that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure a smooth and stress-free verification process.

“This is just the beginning. The outcomes of this exercise will guide further reforms aimed at improving the welfare of our retirees and strengthening institutional processes across the board,” he said.

The verification exercise is expected to serve as a foundation for broader reforms within the Lagos State public service, particularly in the areas of data management, pension administration, and institutional accountability.

Also giving the insight into the verification exercise, the Head, Research & Development Department of the Agency, Mrs Funmi Owolabi, said the exercise, though it is maiden, would go a long way to sanitize all agencies as to having the directily recruited staff retirees verified and start enjoying as their contemporaries recruited by government.

In his reaction, a former retired Assistant Director,(News), Radio Lagos/EkoFm,Mr Femi Afolayan, said with the explanation of the Permanent Secretary, one gets to know the reason why we were called to come for the exercise.

According to Afolayan, who is currently the Information Officer, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, said snce we were not recruited by government but by our respective government agencies, some of the things being benefited by retired civil servants don't get to us. With this exercise, "we are sure government will henceforth have our records and include us to benefit as well", Afolayan said.

The event concluded with the official declaration of the exercise as open, signalling the government’s renewed commitment to efficiency, transparency, and improved service delivery.