Gbenga Odogun, Lokoja
Kogi State government has approved 65years as the new retirement age for teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state.
The Kogi state Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo said the approval was arrived at the weekly executive council meeting last week Thursday and presided over by the Governor.
This is at variant with the 60 years retirement age for all civil servants at all levels in the country.
The Commissioner explained that the domestication of the 65years retirement age has put the state teachers at par with their counterparts at the federal level.
“The development will enable students draw from the wealth of experience and expertise of teachers to better thier academic pursuits.” He noted.
Fanwo said the meeting approved the purchase of thirty-two seater bus each for Kogi United Football Team and Confluence Queens football clubs.
He added that executive counvil also approved the transmission of a bill for a law to amend the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency to create an enabling environment with the required law for government to impact more on the lives of the people.
“The Executive Council also approved the establishment of Kogi Roads Tax Management and Administration Board to improve the quality of roads in the State as well as a bill for a law to establish the Kogi State Rural Roads Agency (RARA) to be saddled with the responsibility of handling rural roads,” he said.
The State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Asiru, while also speaking to journalists said the executive council approved the 2023 budget estimate.
He said the state executive council approved N172.9billion as the total budget estimate for 2023.
He said N250 million was also approved as counterpart fund for the Adolescent Girl Initiative for Learning, a World Bank funded program to help the adolescent girl in Kogi State.
Highlight of the meeting was the presentation of an award as the “Best Governor In Youth And Women Empowerment” .