The Acting Director General of the National Pension Commission (Pencom), Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, said the commission has finalised arrangement to commence the verification of prospective retirees expected to retire from the public service of the federation next year.
Already, she said that, 15 centres which cuts across the six geo-political zones of the country had been earmarked for the verification exercise and would hold between July 1 to August 2, this year across the country.
The centres are Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Gombe, Owerri, Sokoto, Enugu, Lokoja, Ibadan, Lafia and Benin.
Speaking at the pre-retirement workshop for the federal government retirees due to retire in 2020 in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday, Dahir-Umar said, “the workshop is very important so as to enlighten the affected retirees on what they need to know on documentation requirement, payments of retirement benefits and best way to enjoy life retirement.”
Represented at the event by head of Benefit and Insurance Department of the Pencil, Alhaji Abubakar Ali, Dahir-Umar recalled that, “the objectives of the pension reform act (PRA 2014) is to ensure that every person who worked in either in the public service of the federation, federal capital territory, states and local governments or the private sector receive his retirement benefits as and when due and to establish uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for all aspects of pension administration including payment of retirement benefits to retirees amongst others”.
She said that, “the forthcoming verification exercise, therefore necessitated the need to undertake adequate sensitisation and public enlightenment in order to prepare prospective retirees on the steps to take towards a hitch free retirement life.”
While reiterating the commitment of the commission to make life worth living after retirement with payment of their benefits, Dahir-Umar advised the retirees to make useful suggestions during the pre-retirement workshop about the issues that may further help to make their retirement life more comfortable and others coming behind them.
She, therefore, thanked the retirees for their support that had helped the commission to achieve maximum results in the last 17 years.
SystemSpecs Partners WAEC
Prospective private candidates of the 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) – Second Series (Aug/Sept WAEC GCE) across Nigeria can now conveniently purchase their registration PINs through any of the multiple channels available on Remita, one of the leading electronic payment platforms in Nigeria.
This agreement was made recently as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) formally announced the commencement of the sale of WAEC GCE registration PINs that commenced on May 27 and would end on July 19, 2019.
To enjoy this service, a statement explained that intending candidates are to visit the Remita website or mobile app and choose a preferred payment channel of the many options available which include Debit/Credit Card, Internet Banking, Mobile Wallet (Pocket Moni, Paga, etc), Branches of all Nigerian banks, and at designated Agent locations across the country.
According to the statement, once payment is completed, the exam registration PIN is delivered to the candidate’s email and also displayed on the Remita payment receipt sent to the same email.
The candidate is then expected to proceed to WAEC’s website to complete registration with the obtained PIN.
“We are glad to always provide everyday payment solutions for our customers across the value chain. In this particular instance, it is our pleasure to empower prospective candidates of the August/September WAEC GCE with multiple payment options available round-the-clock that would help them complete their registration in good time, with no hassles,” said David Okeme, Divisional Head, Applications and Vertical Markets, of SystemSpecs, owners of Remita.
Candidates are required to conclude registration within two weeks of first access to the WAEC registration portal during the registration period and to ensure that name, gender, passport photograph, date of birth and examination subjects are correctly provided. Upon completion, they are also to print the Admission Notice/Photo Card as evidence of successful registration which will serve as identification during the examination.
Remita is a payment platform in Nigeria that helps individuals and businesses to easily send and receive funds and also settle various bills.
The West African Examinations Council is an examination board established to conduct the examinations and to award certificates comparable to those of equivalent examining authorities internationally.
TAF Leads Delegation to Explore Gambian Investment Opportunities
TAF Africa Global, one of the leading pan-African real estate development companies with presence in about eight African countries including Nigeria and the Gambia will be leading a delegation of prominent Nigerian business men to the Gambia this July in its bid to better deepen strategic economic cooperation between both countries.
The Chief Executive Officer of TAF, Mr. Mustapha Njie, in a statement, explained that The Gambia presents a veritable investment destination for highly discerning Nigerian investors especially in the nascent but increasingly lucrative sectors like tourism, hospitality, telecommunications and real estate that define the burgeoning Gambian Economy.
He explained The Gambia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 4.6 per cent in 2017 to 6.6 per cent in 2018, reflecting a strong recovery in tourism, trade, construction and electricity.
The growth rate, he said, was slightly above the estimated at 6.2 per cent driven by the number of tourists rebounding by 36.6 per cent in the first eight months of 2018 relative to the same period in 2017.
Also commenting, Co-Founder of Hamilton and George Local Financial Advisers to TAF, Joseph Edgar, averred that the relative stability witnessed by the enthronement of democracy has seen government policy focused on the development of a strong and competitive private sector that will move the Gambian economy towards higher value added activities in key sectors thereby transforming The Gambia into a financial Centre, a tourist paradise and a trading cum manufacturing outpost for the keen investor looking at broadening its scope.
The Construction Sector in the Gambia, according to Mr. Gbenga Olaniyan of Estate Links, accounts for 6.1 per cent of GDP.
“Construction sector comprises infrastructure, residential and business structures and given the small size of the manufacturing sector most of the equipment needed are imported thereby giving Nigerian investors a lucrative opportunity. Furthermore,” he said, adding that capital appreciation for Gambia real estate is 10 per cent year on year.
“It is for these reasons and the very wide prospect of closer economic ties between both countries that its President His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow is expected to meet with the delegation upon their arrival, while its Vice President Her Excellency Isatou Touray is also expected to play host to dinner with cabinet ministers in attendance,” the statement disclosed. (ThisDay)
