By joshua 
ASCSN Annual Seminar : Kogi Head of Service, Dr Elijah Evinemi commends Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, assures of improved working environment
Kogi State Head of Service, Doctor Elijah Evinemi has called on the Kogi State Chapter of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, to do more in its contributions to the growth of the state.
Doctor Elijah made the call in Lokoja in a message to the opening of a one day annual seminar organized by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Kogi State chapter.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment and Training, Mrs Shaibu Memunat the Head of Service noted that the role of Senior Civil Servants in the building of the state can not be under estimated, urging them not to lose sight of the objectives.
He admonished the senior civil servants to play their parts positively and serve as role models, considering their positions in service delivery.
“Let me also assure you all that the government of the Chief Servant of the state, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will continue to accord necessary attention to workers welfare, bearing in mind that civil servants are the engine room of government”, Dr Elijah Evinemi remarked
In his speech, the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Sule Ahmed Tijani said the event was to address the financial challenges being faced by working and retired civil servants.
Comrade Tijani who is also the Kogi State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, noted that the topic of the symposium “Minimum wage in relation to the prevailing economic policy; A call for financial frugality for a viable retirement plan” was critically chosen to help the workers to plan ahead of retirement.
He expressed appreciation to the state government for creating an enabling environment through the prompt implementation of the new national minimum wage and also thanked the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour, Comrade Onuh Edoka for being a responsible bridge builder between the government and the labour.
Comrade Tijani assured that the Association of Senior Civil Servants will continue to play its role as a Frontline affiliate of Trade Union Congress, TUC, adding that the resource person will offer his expertise and urged the participants to make the best use of the opportunity.
While presenting paper on the topic
“Minimum wage in relation to the prevailing economic policy; A call for financial frugality for a viable retirement plan”, the guest speaker, Mr Martins Enimola noted that as Nigeria grapples with the economic challenges, it is clear that addressing the root causes of hardship requires a more comprehensive approach rather than just increasing minimum wage.
Mr Enimola who is a retired Deputy Clerk, Administration and General Services in Kogi State House of Assembly, called for diversification of the nation’s economy as well as the need to ensure inflation control.
The guest speaker also called on civil servants to see planning for retirement as a critical aspect of wealth management, emphasizing that they should equally define their level of income desired as well as envision retirement activities.
“Explore different retirement savings options available in Nigeria, such as employer sponsored pension schemes, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), develope a savings plan that aligns with your goals and contributes regularly to your retirement fund, including being members of cooperative societies”, Enimola stated.
Enimola maintained that government and the organized Labour should think outside the box, explaining that continuous increase in minimum wage was likely not the key solution to the harsh economic challenges, especially as being faced by workers, but economic rejuvenation and overhaul.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on Labour matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka and the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Gabriel Amari.