Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger has signed into law a bill establishing the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for employees in the state civil service.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in Minna on Wednesday that the bill was passed by the state House of Assembly in 2015, after it was presented to the state legislative arm.

Bello after signing the bill, said that the bill would provide a better welfare package for civil servants in the state civil service after retirement.

He said the present administration was committed to ensuring that the welfare of its workforce was given priority and prompt payment of salaries of workers.

According to him, the state government will from time to time make necessary adjustment that will improve the living standard of civil servants under the state civil service.

“Our retiring civil servants had given 35 years of their lives to the service of the state; government must reduce their hardship by ensuring payment of their pension.

“We have to ensure that everyone is paid as and when due,” he said.

The governor said that machinery had been put in place to restructure the payment of gratuity for prompt payment of pension of retirees under the old pension scheme.

He commended the legislature for working earnestly to ensure that the bill scaled the legislative hurdles.

NAN reports that the signing of the bill was witnessed by Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and members of the legislature.

Others were members of the state Executive Council and Alhaji Idris Ndako, Chairman of the state Nigeria Labour Congress. (NAN)

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