The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed into law a bill to provide for the social security scheme, which enables retirees access to 25 per cent of their retirement entitlement.

The bill, which was sponsored by Ali Kalat, a member representing Jema’a Constituency, was passed into law after the chairman, Joint Special Duties and Judiciary, Emmanuel Kantiyok, presented a report on it.

The report was adopted by the House and passed into law by the speaker, Yusuf Dahiru.

Mr Kantiyok told journalists that the law would ensure that the hardship being experienced by retirees in accessing their retirement benefits was mitigated.

“We have made it easy for the retirees to, at least, access 25 per cent of their benefits irrespective of whether or not the state government has paid its share.

“The retirees in Kaduna State can heave a sigh of relief. Before now, you cannot access any part of your entitlement until the Pension Bureau certifies that the state government has paid its share you are entitled to,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Kalat, who sponsored the bill, said the poor condition of retirees prompted him to sponsor the bill, expressing joy that the bill had been passed into law.

He urged the state government to hasten the payment of its share of the retirement contribution to enable retirees to access all their money.

Some of the retirees who were at the assembly commended the new law.

Idris Danasabe, public relations officer, National Union of Pensioners, Kaduna chapter, said many spent 35 years in service and languished in poverty and hunger.

He expressed joy at the passage of the law, saying they could now access what they had contributed.

 (NAN)