Lorine Emenike
Not less than 2093 civil servants have retired from the Rivers state civil service from 2015 till date.
The chairman Rivers state civil service commission, Chief Oris Onyiri who disclosed this at a send forth ceremony for retirees of the Rivers State ministry of Information and communication 2015 to 2019, said 97 persons retired from the ministry of information and communication.
Chief Onyiri who was represented by a commissioner in the civil service commission, Konfaa Harry, charged the retirees to see the new status as an opportunity to impact positively on their communities.
While thanking governor Wike for amending the contributory pension scheme which migrated the retirees to the old pension scheme, he expressed hope that with the ongoing biometrics exercise for retirees in the state, some of them might have started receiving their pensions.
Also speaking, the state head of service Barr. Rufus Godwin, thanked the ministry of information and communication for organizing the send forth ceremony inspite of the harsh economic situation in the country.
Godwins who was represented by a permanent secretary in the office of head of service, Sir. Nnamdi Okpu, said the retirees are endowed with potentials for the development of their communities.
He charged those in service to put in their best, stressing that everyone both serving and retired civil servants have a duty to protect government facilities anywhere in the state.
Permanent secretary, Rivers State ministry of information and communication, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim said the ceremony shows that the retirees are being appreciated for their services to the ministry.
Nsirim said his office is open to any of them and expressed hope that the event will bring something good to the lives of the retirees.