• Etukudoh demands living wage, better working conditions for civil servants
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A retiring senior pension officer in the Federal Civil Service, Mrs. Maria Nkereuwem Etukudoh, has warned that the current minimum wage is inadequate to sustain Nigerian workers amid rising costs of living, calling on the Federal Government to urgently introduce a living wage that reflects prevailing economic realities.
Etukudoh, who retired after 25 years in the Federal Civil Service, including her tenure as Head of the Pension Unit at the Federal Ministry of Finance, said soaring costs of fuel, transportation, food, housing and other essential commodities had significantly eroded the purchasing power of civil servants.
Speaking at a retirement reception held in her honour in Abuja Sunday, she said the gap between workers’ earnings and the cost of living had become so wide that even her salary could barely meet basic transportation needs.
“My salary cannot even fill my car with fuel for two weeks. We need a living wage, not just a minimum wage that loses value before workers receive it,” she said.
Etukudoh said the removal of fuel subsidy and the resulting increase in transportation costs had compounded the economic difficulties confronting workers, particularly civil servants who commute considerable distances to their places of work.
“To go to work became burdensome. Buying fuel, paying transport fares, feeding the family and paying rent became very difficult,” she said.
The retiring pension administrator warned that inadequate remuneration was not merely a welfare issue but one capable of undermining workers’ morale, commitment and productivity.
She urged the government to make workers’ welfare a priority, arguing that a motivated workforce remained critical to efficient public administration and effective service delivery.
“Government should continue improving workers’ welfare because the current minimum wage cannot take anybody anywhere,” she said.
According to her, adequately compensated workers would be more motivated to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“When workers are properly compensated, they will give their very best to public service,” she added.
Etukudoh, who spent a significant part of her career dealing with pension administration, also used the occasion to draw attention to the difficulties confronting retired workers across the country.
She said her experience had exposed her to the hardship faced by Nigerians who devoted their productive years to public service but were sometimes subjected to prolonged delays before receiving their retirement benefits.
According to her, “There are many challenges because I am retiring as a pension officer.
“You see retirees who have worked all their lives for this country, and when it is time for them to receive their reward, in most cases they don’t get that reward. Is that not terrible?”
She disclosed that some pensioners were compelled to remain around government offices for extended periods while waiting for their entitlements, with some allegedly sleeping outside offices.
She said: “Sometimes you see them crying. Some of them even want to sleep in the office. In some offices, they actually sleep outside because they are waiting for their entitlements.
“It saddens my heart that after giving all their youthful years, strength, resources and time to the nation, they are not adequately compensated.”
Etukudoh therefore called for comprehensive reforms in pension administration at the federal and state levels to ensure prompt payment of pensions and other retirement benefits.
She also urged pension administrators to treat retirees with dignity and compassion, rather than subjecting them to unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
“When pensioners come to you, don’t push them aside.
“When they cry, wipe away their tears. If you can assist them with transport fare, do so.
“Support them emotionally, physically and spiritually. Pray with them and for them because one day every worker will become a pensioner,” she stated.
The retiring pension chief, however, acknowledged efforts by the present administration to address some outstanding pension liabilities, expressing hope that such initiatives would be sustained and expanded.
“There is hope. In this present administration, efforts have been made to pay some outstanding pensioners.
“There are also plans to improve contribution rates and strengthen exit benefit schemes.
“Government is trying, and we pray they will do even more because when workers are properly compensated, they will give their very best to public service,” she said.
Etukudoh also lamented the poor working conditions in some government offices, saying inadequate facilities and obsolete equipment could further undermine workers’ productivity.
“In many offices we don’t have laptops, computers, printers, chairs or even decent office facilities.
” Sometimes the environment does not dignify workers. When people work under such conditions, service delivery suffers,” she stated.
She called on the government to provide basic working tools and decent office environments as part of broader efforts to improve efficiency and productivity in the public sector.
Reflecting on her career, Etukudoh expressed appreciation to her husband, children, colleagues, relatives and members of her faith community for their support throughout her years in public service.
She particularly acknowledged her husband for encouraging her to join the civil service when she was initially reluctant.
“My husband persuaded me to join the civil service when I was reluctant. Today, I am grateful to Jehovah God, my children, my colleagues and everyone who supported me throughout this journey,” she said.
Her husband, Professor Nkereuwem Etukudoh, Provost of the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, described her retirement as the culmination of decades of sacrifice, commitment to public service and dedication to the family.
“I encouraged her to join the civil service in 2001, and from that time till now we have not suffered any loss.
She has worked, kept the home, remained faithful, and today she is retiring in glory. I thank God for her,” he said.
Professor Etukudoh, who disclosed that the couple had been married since December 31, 1988, said his wife’s retirement would not mark the end of her contribution to society.
“She is retiring, but she is not tired. She will continue to contribute to society, support the family and remain active in promoting the work of Jehovah,” he added.
The professor also called for greater national investment in medical laboratory infrastructure, local production of diagnostic equipment and reagents, as well as stronger professional training.
“There cannot be a healthy society without functional medical laboratories. Medical laboratory scientists are central to disease diagnosis and patient management, yet this critical sector has not received the attention it deserves,” he said.
He disclosed that the Federal College, under his leadership since 2018, had intensified efforts towards equipment fabrication and local production of laboratory reagents, stressing the need for Nigeria to reduce its dependence on imported diagnostic materials.
“These are two strategic areas that have largely been neglected in Nigeria.
“We are repositioning the institution to begin equipment fabrication and reagent production, in line with our statutory mandate.
“This will strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce dependence on imports and improve professional standards,” he said.
He commended the Federal Government for investments in education infrastructure, expressing optimism that sustained reforms would reposition medical laboratory education and contribute to improved healthcare delivery.
The retirement reception attracted family members, friends, colleagues and well-wishers, who celebrated Etukudoh’s career and described her as a compassionate public servant whose commitment to pensioners and the civil service had left a lasting legacy.