As part of the present administration’s commitment to ensure there is an improved standard of living for the public servants, especially the retirees of the Lagos State Public Service, the State Government has empowered retirees with fish farming skills.
The two-day training programme, which was organised by the Post Service Department in the Office of the Head of Service, is part of the social and economic relief initiatives intended to equip retirees of the State Public Service with the requisite competencies and entrepreneurial skills needed to run profitable business ventures in retirement.
The Permanent Secretary of Public Service Office, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola, charged the participants to maximise the benefits of the training programme on fish farming during the closing ceremony held at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs.
Oyegbola, represented by the Secretary of the Staff Housing Board, Mr. Abdul-Rafiu Fashola, stated that the programme is part of the State Government’s efforts and commitments to provide the right tools and enabling environment for its workforce, especially the retirees.
“The interest of both its active and inactive officers has remained paramount to the Office of the Head of Service, thus, economic relief initiatives have been lined up to equip retirees on a quarterly basis with requisite competencies and entrepreneurial skills needed to run profitable business ventures”, she said.
Oyegbola noted the start-off grant which includes a fish tank, feeds and fingerlings, are all the basics required to get the ball rolling as a source of income, saying “The department is mandated to ensure that quarterly training and sensitisation programme on various acquisition skills and counselling are organised for the Retirees. It is one of the avenues designed to engage and empower them to earn extra income after retirement”.
She stressed that, to further support the retirees, the Office of the Head of Service has recently recreated wellness centres in each of the five divisions of the State to cater for the wellness and mental health of the retirees, adding these centres are equipped with different games/support service for the retirees as part of ways to relax and refresh themselves.
Oyagbola equally urged the Public Servants in the State to remain committed to the well-tested values, ethos and traditions of honesty, hard work and excellent service delivery that have characterised the Lagos State Public Service.
One of the beneficiaries of the training programme, Mr. Rasheed Oladejo-Pedro said, “The programme has exposed us to a new line of businesses we never thought of, and it’s an opportunity for us to also kill boredom, to engage ourselves in serious activities, morning, afternoon, night and this is very good for all retirees”.
He also advised the State Government to start the laudable empowerment programme for staff months before their disengagement from service so as to enable them to hit the ground running immediately after retirement.