By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
In furtherance of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration commitment to turn around the fortunes of public education in the state, the Kogi State Government has gone a step further by approving 65 year’s retirement age for public schools teachers in the state.
This was made known to Newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday at the end of weekly meeting of State Executive council meeting presided over by Governor Yahaya Bello, held at government House, Lokoja.
According to the commissioner for information and communication, Mr Kingsley Fawon, beside massive infrastructural investment in the education sector, the administration has also completed the process of injecting over 3,979 new recruits teachers to fill existing vacancies with the aim of reducing high level of unemployment rate.
He disclosed further that approval have been given for the implementation of the 65 retirement age for public schools teachers in Kogi State.
According to him, the decision was meant to help the state align itself with the federal government policy on the retirement age for teachers, and the policy, he explained, would enable government keep its best for a much longer period.
Fawon explained that the domestication of the new retirement age policy would provide students in the state the opportunity to draw from the experience and expertise of the teachers.
It would be recalled that president Muhammadu Buhari, had in April this year assented to the Law on Harmonisation of Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria, Act 2022.
The new law provides clearly in Section 1, “ that teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire upon attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes earlier”.
Also, the State Executive Council has approved the purchase of thirty-two seater bus, each for the state male and female football teams, Kogi United and Confluence Queens in recognition of the teams excellent performances.
