By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The early morning jogging.
A federal retiree and a media consultant, Alhaji D U Ahmed, has advised his fellow retirees in the country to develop the culture of engaging in light physical exercise,aside from social activities,to keep fit, word-off some minor health challenges, worries and cope positively with experiences of retirement.
The retiree, who also manages a news social media site in Lokoja, gave the advice on Thursday in Lokoja, while speaking with our Correspondent at the end of his early morning jogging.
“As a Journalist and an information manager, I have read a lot on the importance of physical exercise to the body. I have since imbibed the culture of exercising and I have no regret for taking such action, because I have seen the positive effect on my body.
“I jog round my compound every morning and engage in other minor physical exercises for the maximum of 30 minutes and honestly since I started, I experience less stress and other health issues.
According to Ahmed, retirement, though a must for any public servant, should not be taken lightly because it involves a lot of stress with attendant health challenges, adding that it must be managed effectively.
“But the happy thing, according to health experts is that, with such minor physical exercises, a retiree will have improved health to move on with his or her life,”he said.
The media consultant, however, expressed concern over the delay in payment of pension entitlements to retirees in the country, especially those on the new pensions scheme.
“I stayed for about 14 months before I could get my entitlements as a retiree of the federal government. That period, for me and my family, is highly imagined than said. Thank God for His provision and the fact that I saved for the raining day while in public service.
Ahmed urged civil servants still in public service to join their various cooperative societies and begin to save part of their salary for the raining day.
He also called on Pencom to take a second look at the pension policy in the country with a view to reviewing the monthly pension being paid to pensioners, especially those on the new pension scheme.
“For a civil servant on the new pension scheme, who was receiving about N300,000 as monthly salary while in public now taking N55,000 is not a good story to tell.
“These retirees are more prone to health challenges because of their advancement in age and other factors.
“There is the urgent need for the federal government to augment the monthly pension of these class of retirement by way of monthly stipend, to make life more meaningful them and their families as well as other dependants.
The retiree also called on his colleagues to invest part of their lump sum wisely and guard against falling into the hands of criminals, who he noted,always want to reap from where they did not sow.
