Director, Maritime Labour Services, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA), Olayemi Abass, and some other senior officials of the agency have opted to voluntarily retire early from the service of the agency, SHIPS & PORTS can authoritatively report
SHIPS & PORTS reliably gathered that Abass, three Deputy Directors and 22 other staff of the agency are exiting the agency to take advantage of the voluntary retirement scheme also known as the ‘golden handshake’.
The scheme, which is part of the agency’s condition of service, is for staff on grade levels 15 to 17 with less than five years in service.
“The practice of golden handshake is not new in NIMASA. It has happened twice during the tenure of the immediate past NIMASA Director General, Dakuku Peterside and during Patrick Akpobolokemi’s tenure, where officers that have a particular number of years or less to exit service are advised that if they are interested in the voluntary retirement, they can indicate in writing and so many people wrote.
“Quite a number of senior staff also wrote recently. It is to allow for progression. If the top is weeded, it allows those under to grow,” a source said.
SHIPS & PORTS had exclusively reported recently that the spokesman and Head, Corporate Communication of NIMASA, Philip Kyanet, is among those who have indicated interest to exit the agency before his retirement date to benefit from the golden handshake.
The employee that opts for voluntary retirement gets 45 days salary for each completed year of service or monthly emoluments at the time of retirement multiplied by the remaining months of service before the his or her due date of retirement, whichever is less including provident fund and gratuity.
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