Civil servants in Nigeria should retire at age 70 – Cleric

Rev. Fr. Godfrey Gopep has urged the Federal Government to review the retirement age for civil servants in Nigeria to 70 years.

Gopep is the Parish Priest of St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church in Rayfield, Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The cleric made the call in his sermon on Sunday while lamenting the challenges retirees face.

He noted that the review would also reduce the falsification of age by people seeking to be employed.

Gopep said due to the high rate of unemployment, most citizens start jobs in their 40s.

“I want to call on the Federal Government to review the retirement age of civil servants from 60 to 70 years.

“Those who get employed a bit late can have enough time to contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

“It will also curtail the act where people reduce their ages just so that they can get employed”, he added.

Gopep called on government at all levels to create job opportunities and an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and create jobs.

The clergyman advised young people to acquire skills instead of waiting for white-collar jobs that are scarce.