By Samuel Ogude(Warri)
Contrary to the rumours making the rounds that the Deputy Senate President and Delta State Governorship Candidate on the platform of All Progressives Congress(APC), Senator Ovie Omo- Agege plans to reverse the teachers’ retirement age of 65 years which is backed by law and since been implemented by the federal government when he(Ovie Omo –Agege) becomes the Governor of the state is not true.
In a press statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to Deputy Senate President, Sunny Areh, and made available to newsmen said, the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act that was passed into law by the National Assembly in January 2021 under Senator Omo-Agege’s watch of Deputy Senate President, to now suggest that the same law that he (Senator Omo-Agege) facilitated its passage into law will be reversed after he has won the rescheduled March 18 2023 gubernatorial election and becomes the Governor is not only stupid, idiotic but farcical.
According to the statement, Section 1 of the Act clearly states that Teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. The statement therefore urged Deltans, especially teachers and residents of Delta State to ignore the unfounded rumours by the PDP and vote for Omo-Agege as the next Governor of the State as such rumours are the handiwork of mischief makers. The statement added that the Deputy Senate President has a concerted programme to improve the ambience for learning by upgrading the infrastructure in educational institutions, promote teachers as and when due, and ensure that on retirement, their gratuity and benefits are paid.
Part of the statement reads:”On April 8, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill which then became an Act. Section 1 of the Act clearly states that Teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. Unfortunately, uninformed disinformation agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shamelessly showed an unbelievable level of ignorance and naivety by generating and disseminating the absolutely false story that the Delta State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, plans to reverse the recent domestication of the Federal law by Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State when assumes office as a Governor”.
According to the statement, it was a few days ago, Governor Okowa approved the adoption of the Act extending the retirement age of teachers exactly one year after the Federal Government had begun its implementation saying, it was a belated move borne out of desperation adding, the same desperation is now cloaked with pitiable ignorance with the stupid rumours.
Part of the statement reads:” For record purposes, Senator Omo-Agege is part of the leadership of the National Assembly as Deputy Senate President that worked assiduously for the passage of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill into law. This was accomplished by the APC-led Federal Government where Senator Omo-Agege is a ranking leader”.
The statement therefore called on all Deltans to vote for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as a Governor Delta State, come March 18 this year.
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