By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, has advocated for well planned retirement package for military and other security personnel to avoid traumatic life after service.
Bashir made the call at the opening of the maiden workshop on Pre-Retirement for Personnel of the Military and Security Organisations in Nigeria, organised by NDC Consult Limited, on Monday in Abuja.
He was represented by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies of the College, Maj.-Gen. Lawrence Fejokwu.
He said that early planning for retirement was necessary to save retiring officers and men from scary after service life.
The commandant said the week-long workshop would help to build the capacity of the participants to positively look forward to retiring and be their own bosses.
According to him, research has revealed that poor retirement planning is one of the cardinal factors responsible for low life expectancy or poor quality of life of retirees.
“Unfortunately, many personnel of both military and civilian organisations do not plan for their retirement.
“In fact, retirement often comes as a rude shock to them, but this ought not to be so given the sacrifice and dedication of these officers to the service of their fatherland.
“There is also the practice of sending retiring officers to a crash programme few months to their disengagement from service.
“This practice could be likened to medicine after death because there is no doubt that many officers could have preferred to be furnished with the retirement training years before exiting active service in order to adequately prepare them for a meaningful life after retirement.
“It is against this backdrop that this training programme is packaged by NDC Consult Limited and Full Race Resource Limited to equip participants who will be disengaging from service to comprehend what is required to prepare for a quality post retirement life.
“I know that most of you will soon retire and certainly will be apprehensive of what tomorrow may bring.
“Don’t worry, in the next four days you will be thoroughly furnished to face your post retirement years with excitement and joy as you approach retirement,” he said.
Bashir said it was natural for retiring personnel to think about the options open to them going forward and also be concerned about how to use the ample time they had.
He added that there would thoughts of how to support themselves and their families financially as well maintain current lifestyle or health and other social issues.
He assured the participants that the training would walk them through self-awareness issues, life after retirement, challenges of adjusting to a new lifestyle and retirement transitioning among others.
The Managing Director, NDC Consult, Dr Chinedi Ude, said the workshop was to get the participants prepared for retirement.
Ude said the programme was in response to realisation that people put up many years in service without being really fully prepared in understanding what would face them when they retire.
He said it was expected that people should start planning for retirement the day there were employed, which he said does not really happen.
“So we now deemed it necessary to build capacity for those who are going to retire in a few years, to equip them with the skill sets to make their post retirement life a bit more meaningful.
“Teach them soft skills that will help them because you don’t have to retire after 35 years and still go and start looking for another employment.
“We intend to prepare them to have a better life after retirement,” he said. (NAN)
