From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has issued an Executive Order that increased the retirement age of the academic staff in some Kaduna State-owned tertiary institutions to 65 years, provided they meet the requirements.
Speaking at a news briefing on Friday, the Commissioner of Education, Prof Muhammad Sani Bello, said that the decision followed a meeting with the Governor and the management as well as leadership of Academic Unions of all state-owned tertiary institutions held last Tuesday.
The Commissioner said that the academics had five demands, and Governor Uba Sani made pledges to fulfill some over a period of time but specifically said that the issue of retirement age would be resolved in the next 48 hours.
According to him, the Governor fulfilled that promise by signing Executive Order Number 2 of 2024 on Thursday, which raised the retirement age of academic staff of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, College of Education Gidan Waya, and School of Nursing and Midwifery to 65 years.
Prof Bello who noted that the Kaduna State Government is committed to ensuring the smooth implementation of the policy across state-owned tertiary institutions, said that the Order came into effect last Thursday, the day it was signed.
Recalling the issues discussed at the meeting, the Commissioner said that the Governor listened to a series of requests that had been lingering before the coming of his administration.
‘’There were five fundamental requests. Number one had to do with outstanding salaries and welfare benefits of the staff of these institutions. On that, His Excellency has graciously agreed to consider those outstanding payments and benefits.”
‘’But of course, given the financial constraints that the state is facing, affordable amounts would be paid in staggered form until the outstanding liability is redeemed. That was the resolution,’’ he said.
‘’The next issue had to do with funding the institutions. We all know that since the implementation of the Treasury Single Account system in Kaduna State, tertiary institutions have been affected.”
‘’They complained about funding which they require to run the day-to-day activities of the institutions. As a prelude to a complete reversal of the inclusion of tertiary institutions from TSA,
” His Excellency has also graciously agreed to commence sharing of the total revenue being collected by these institutions.
‘There will be a sharing formula within the first quarter of next year that will be mutually agreed, which will be fair to all parties,’’ he added.
The Commissioner said that the third issue that the meeting discussed had to do with the issue of tenure of academic staff of some state-owned tertiary institutions regarding retirement age.
According to him, it is a national policy that staff of similar institutions across the country are supposed to adopt 65 years as retirement age but ‘’unfortunately for Kaduna State, we have been left behind.’’
Prof Bello said that Governor Uba Sani has now agreed, by issuing an Executive Order, to allow the 65 years retirement age for Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, College of Education Gidan Waya, and School of Nursing and Midwifery.
