The National Council on Establishments has set up a three-man committee to prepare a position paper on the review of the 2004 Pension Reform Act.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali, who read out the communiqué on decisions taken at the end of its 36th meeting held in Akure, Ondo State, said that the decision to set up a committee on the review of the Pension Act was as a result of request made to the Council for an upward review of employers’ contribution from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent.
The Council, Sali said, will present its position to the Senate Committee on Establishments and Pensions, which is currently carrying out a holistic review of pension administration in Nigeria.
The Committee is headed by the Kwara State Head of the Civil Service with the Delta and Ogun States Head of Service as members.
Other decisions announced in the communiqué by the Council include the upholding of the position of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria that only the degree of B.Sc. Nursing is acceptable as minimum qualification for entry into the nursing officer cadre in the civil service.
It was also resolved that the appropriate professional body for the registration of Pharmacy Technicians is the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.
It also agreed that the recommendation of the Committee on the Harmonisation of the Local Government Schemes of Service with the Schemes of Service of the Federal and State Public Service should be looked into for appropriate advice to government.
It however stepped down the request for endorsement of the 2007 edition of the Scheme of Service for Fire Officers Cadre and advised that the provisions of the extant Schemes of Service for Fire Officer Cadre as contained in the 2008 Revised Edition should be adopted by the states.
The communiqué also showed that the Council rejected the issue of extension of hazard allowance to agricultural professionals in the civil service while it advised the environmental officers in the service of Edo State Government should be redesigned based on their qualifications to fit into existing cadres in order to avoid proliferation of cadres.
Issues referred by the Council to its Standing Committee for in-depth study and advice include requests for the creation of Schemes of Service Cartographer Cadre and the creation of Air Traffic Control, Aeronautical Information Officer and the Medical Laboratory Scientist Tutor Cadres in the civil service.
The next meeting of the National Council on Establishments is expected to hold in Awka, Anambra State.