Uba Sani increases retirement age for Kaduna academics to 65 years

Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna, has issued an executive order increasing the retirement age of the academic staff of some Kaduna state-owned tertiary institutions to 65 years.

Muhammad Sani Bello, the state’s commissioner for education, said that the decision followed a meeting with the governor, tertiary institution management, and the leadership of academic staff unions of all state-owned tertiary institutions.

The commissioner, while speaking during a news briefing on Friday, said the retirement threshold is subject to some requirements.

He said the academics had five demands that the governor pledged to fulfil over time.

He said this includes the issue of retirement age which he said would be resolved within 48 hours.

The order, he said, raised the retirement age of academic staff of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria, College of Education Gidan Waya, and School of Nursing and Midwifery to 65 years.

Bello said the Kaduna state government is committed to ensuring the smooth implementation of the policy across state-owned tertiary institutions.

He said the order came into effect last Thursday, the day it was signed.

Recalling the issues discussed at the meeting, the commissioner said that the governor listened to a series of requests that had been lingering before the coming of his administration.

‘’There were five fundamental requests. Number one had to do with outstanding salaries and welfare benefits of the staff of these institutions. On that, His Excellency has graciously agreed to consider those outstanding payments and benefits,” he said.

‘’But of course, given the financial constraints that the state is facing, affordable amounts would be paid in staggered form until the outstanding liability is redeemed. That was the resolution,’’ he said.

‘’The next issue had to do with funding the institutions. We all know that since the implementation of the Treasury Single Account system in Kaduna State, tertiary institutions have been affected.

‘’They complained about funding which they require to run the day-to-day activities of the institutions.

“As a prelude to a complete reversal of the inclusion of tertiary institutions from TSA, His Excellency has also graciously agreed to commence sharing of the total revenue being collected by these institutions.

“There will be sharing formula within the first quarter of next year, that will be mutually agreed which will be fair to all parties.”