TRCN Prepares Staff For Retirement

The Director, Admin & Supplies, 2 nd left and other Management Staff at the retirement workshop The Management of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) scored another bull's eye on the 6 th August, 2009 in Kaduna through a much exposing pre-retirement Workshop which was organized for senior officers of the council recently. The much exposing pre-retirement workshop which was tagged “Perspective on Retirement” was organized in conjunction with ‘Bondwell Insurance Brokers.'

As a learning organization, TRCN continues to embrace the dual concept of training and development of her staff towards the acquisition of needed skills, knowledge and attitude which enables her staff to achieve the current and future individual and corporate objectives. The training was not only an important way of getting the best out of workers, but of developing the best in workers.

Developing a whole person was the basis for the informative exposure and the attitude influencing and changing interaction that took place during the packaged programme organized outside the office environment for easy assimilation. The topics treated were aimed at enhancing the person of the worker through focused concern for the future of the worker in and after leaving TRCN. Another basic objective of the workshop was to also enhance the quality of the organizational climate which in turn serves as a motivator of staff for higher and better quality service and service delivery. The papers presented at the workshop further gave the core competences of civil service job contents a pride of place in order to improve employer/employee relationship.

Four main papers and one supporting paper were presented at the workshop. The fifth paper which was a personal experience of a retiree was in itself used to stress some dos and don'ts in retirement planning and actual retirement life. The first paper, which was titled, “implementation of the contributory Pension scheme: unfolding issues and challenges.

The paper, which was a highly informative document on the Pension Act 2004, Pencom, Pension Fund Administrators and Custodians, made a perfect practical document on the workings of the new Pension Scheme. Another important point stressed at the workshop was the laudable objective of the pension Act 2004 which according to the resource persons, is better bargained for pension services to pensioners especially considering the shabby treatment currently experienced by retirees.

Some of the practical experiences confronting the scheme include but not limited to the followings:

  • Non-correct remittances to the RSA of the contributor
  • Non-timely remittances to the RSA of contributor
  • Determination of part services liability and issuance of Bond certificates
  • Difficulties in the processing of death benefits
  • Ensuring that the right interest is credited to contributors' account; and
  • Response to claims by PFA's when a staff retires

The second paper which was on the impact of global economic meltdown on pension fund management and investment in Nigeria was aimed at mitigating future challenges. In the paper, global economic meltdown in history, origin and causes, the effects of the recession on Nigeria 's pension fund investment were specially highlighted.

The third paper however, was on “stress management”. It was handled by a medical expert with the objective of educating the workshop participants on the causes of stress and how to cope with it for a healthier and longer life. The fourth paper which was titled “joy and sadness in retirement therefore, gave further information on retirement, retirement planning, success tips in retirement and ends with a recommended list of books that are most useful for would-be retirees and retirees alike.

 

H.F. Iko