The executive chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Asiwaju Akeem Olatunji, has intensified advocacy for early planning ahead of retirement.
This, he said will reduce the pressure of emotional and financial insecurities usually associated with urgency after retirement and the need to sustain retirement benefits.
Olatunji stated this on Thursday during a one day capacity building seminar organized by the LG in collaboration with the Oluyole local government chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The seminar according to the Council boss, is aimed at equipping its workforce particularly those approaching retirement, with vital knowledge and skills for personal growth, professional advancement, and sustainable post-service life.
The seminar, which was the first of its kind in the history of the Council, held at the LG headquarters, Idi-Ayunre, in Ibadan.
The seminar attracted staff across various departments, top council officials, and resource persons who delivered practical sessions on career development, financial literacy, and early retirement planning.
Delivering his address, Olatunji emphasized the importance of continuous training for and networking among the workforce, describing these as key drivers of productivity and quality life after service.
According to him, the seminar was not only targeted at boosting staff efficiency but also preparing them for life after active service.
“We want to build a workforce that is not only effective on the job but also adequately prepared for retirement. I’m even concerned about preparing you for life out of service so that whatever you receive as gratuities and pensions will multiply.
He stressed that when financial independence among retirees is secured through financial literacy, the pressure on government and the eventual political allegations emanating from over dependence on monthly pension will be reduced.
“Planning ahead is crucial, and that is why this seminar is designed to help our staff embrace financial discipline, skill acquisition, and entrepreneurial ventures before leaving service,” Olatunji stated.
The Guest Lecturer at the event, Dr Adewale Aiyedun, a Chartered Accountant and human resource expert, warned against the dangers of impulsive planning due to haste and what he described as last hour rush.
In his lecture titled “How to Maintain Wellness in Active Local Government Service and Effectively Prepare for Retirement,” Dr. Aiyedun emphasized the importance of maintaining wellness while serving actively in local government.
He noted that public service is more than a career noting that it is a commitment to the various communities at the grassroots and that sustaining physical, mental, and social health remains key to effective performance.
Maintaining Wellness in Service
Dr. Aiyedun outlined several strategies for wellness in active service including work-life balance, continuous learning and capacity development, building strong relationships, health and wellness, as well as community engagement.
Delivering his lecture further, Dr. Aiyedun focused on strategies for a smooth transition from active service into retirement.
He listed guides to help naive persons with poor conviction as compass to navigate through life out of service including financial prudence and self discipline, identifying areas of interests and passions, staying connected with up-to-date information, maintaining good health setting and setting up of clear and realistic goals.
Medical resource person, Dr Olayinka Akanni advocate prioritizing physical wellness among workers during and after service. She emphasized the need to eat right and cultivate habits that promotes wellness and environmental hygiene.
The Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA) represented by the Council Auditor, Mr Adeyemo Oyetunji Rafiu, in his remarks, urged participants to take advantage of cooperative societies, insurance schemes, and micro-investment opportunities to secure their future.
“Retirement is inevitable, but financial insecurity in retirement is avoidable if workers start planning early,” he advised.
Earlier in her goodwill message, the Chairperson of NULGE in Oluyole local government, Comrade Toyosi Adekola described the seminar as expository and an unprecedented awakening of the mind of government workers to commence early planning for retirement.
She commended the Council chairman for being visionary and pragmatic in his concerns for the welfare of local government staffs during and after active service. She stressed the significance of the seminar assuring that such sensitization was very critical as civil servants in the council approaching their retirement have held the concerns about life after service.
She however, urged participants to ensure that they start to put lessons learned from the event into practice to avoid late hour retirement apprehension.
Other stakeholders and participants at the seminar also highlighted the need for workers to embrace early retirement planning. They called on workers to view retirement not as the end of productivity but as an opportunity to explore new ventures, provided adequate preparation is made early.
They warned against over-reliance on pensions alone, stressing the importance of savings, investments, and alternative income streams.
Participants in their separate remarks, expressed appreciation to the council and NULGE leadership for prioritizing their welfare through training and exposure to critical post-retirement survival strategies describing the seminar as “timely and eye-opening,” adding that many workers often underestimate the realities of retirement until it is too late.
Leader of Oluyole LG Legislative House, Hon. Taofeeq Azeez, Councilors, and other local government officials were present at the event.
