Age For Health Workers, Others, Before House Of Representatives
A bill seeking the extension of retirement age of health workers and other federal government workers in the country is now before the House of Representatives.
In a statement signed by Segun Orisajo
Head, Public Relations & Information, FMC, Abeokuta said the bill when passed, the present retirement age of 60 years for Nigerian workers will be pushed to 65 years as done recently for teachers in the Country.
The Chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr. Amos Magaji dropped this hint while fielding questions with newsmen at the end of his Committee’s oversight function at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
According to the Chairman, the issue of extending the current retirement age of Nigerian workers to 65 has become imperative as a result of a number of factors.
His words, “We are actually looking at extending the retirement age of not only health workers but many of the workers in Nigeria.
There is a bill to that effect.
” Looking for instance at the age at which people now start work, we have many Nigerians that start working at the age of 40 and they leave office at 60 and you see many of them still very strong, active and willing to contribute to national development.”
Continuing, Dr. Mogaji observed that the need to push for upward review of retirement age was more pertinent in the health sector arising from the prevailing _Japa_ syndrome.
” It is very important to look at the extension of years of service for workers in the health care system especially in the light of the brain drain that had hit the health sector.”
Beside the elongation of years of service , the Chairman said his Committee was equally looking at ” how to improve the remuneration and welfare of Nigerian health workers so that all over, not only doctors and nurses , but all health workers will be able to work and proudly take care of their families”
The Chairman commended the Medical Director, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu and his management team for the judicious utilization of appropriated funds for the hospital.
” In the midst of a lot of constraints, they have been able to do much with the resources they have.
” These are the institutions that when they are asking for resources, government is pleased to release to them because you can see what they are doing with those resources”.
