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From Bimbola Oyesola,
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has described the restoration of gratuity to the Federal Civil Servants by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a restoration of dignity to public service.
This is as thousands of federal civil servants received the news that President Tinubu has approved the restoration of gratuity payments for retiring workers in the federal public service with great jubilation as the news filtered through the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The announcement triggered excitement across offices and corridors of the sprawling government complex, where many workers described the decision as a long-awaited relief and a recognition of decades of dedicated service to the nation.
Leaders of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) immediately hailed the development, describing it as a landmark victory for labour advocacy and a morale booster for public servants across the country.
President of ASCSN, Shehu Mohammed, and the union’s Secretary-General, Joshua Apebo, jointly commended President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council for approving the Exit Benefit Scheme, which will grant retiring federal civil servants a gratuity equal to 100 percent of their total annual emolument.
“We are really glad that after decades of struggle by the union to ensure that federal civil servants who have served the country for 35 years or attained 60 years of age, whichever comes first, can now be rewarded as it used to be in the past,” Mohammed said.
According to the union leaders, the restoration represents the culmination of years of persistent advocacy by labour groups seeking improved welfare for public sector workers.
ASCSN recalled that gratuity payments to federal civil servants were halted following the enactment of the Pension Reform Act of 2004, even though the legislation did not explicitly abolish the benefit.
“We wish to recall that gratuity to federal civil servants was stopped when the Pension Reforms Act 2004 was enacted, even though the Act did not expressly abolish payment of gratuity,” the union said.
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The association explained that since 2004, it had consistently pushed for the reinstatement of gratuity through memoranda, formal correspondence, and engagements with government authorities.
Union leaders noted that the issue was also raised directly with former President Muhammadu Buhari during a courtesy visit by the association’s leadership to the Presidential Villa on August 19, 2022.
“At the meeting, the matter was brought to his attention and he promised to work towards the restoration of gratuity,” Apebo said.
Labour leaders expressed optimism that the new policy under President Tinubu would finally resolve the long-standing issue and restore confidence in the federal public service.
They stated that the President has directed that implementation of the gratuity scheme should commence in January 2026.
“We look forward to the implementation of the new gratuity scheme to federal civil servants from January 2026 as President Tinubu has directed, so that the morale of civil servants can be further boosted,” Mohammed said.
The union also assured its members that it would closely monitor the rollout of the policy to ensure that government agencies comply with the directive.
“We assure our teeming members that we will monitor the development closely and ensure that it is implemented accordingly,” the union emphasised.
Explaining the significance of the policy, the labour leaders described gratuity as a monetary benefit paid by an employer to an employee upon retirement, without any financial contribution from the worker.
They said the benefit is traditionally intended to support retirees as they transition into life after active service and pursue post-retirement ventures.
According to the union, the concept of gratuity is rooted in the long-standing belief that employees who have dedicated decades of service to public or private organisations deserve a symbolic reward — often referred to as a “golden handshake” — in appreciation of their mental and physical efforts.
With the announcement now rekindling hope across the federal civil service, union leaders urged government authorities to ensure transparent and timely implementation so that the renewed policy truly delivers on its promise to reward years of loyal public service.
