Ten directors from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) various departments have formally departed after reaching the obligatory retirement age of 60 years old, or 35 years of service.
INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Mohammed Adamu, congratulated the directors on their retirement at a send-off ceremony in Abuja on Sunday.
“As you retire, you shouldn’t worry yourself about the past, but about the future.
“I don’t think this is the end of the road. This is actually the beginning of another journey in your lives because you are all professionals in your respective fields,” he said.
Adamu urged them to spend their retirement years doing meaningful work that would pay well.
He told active-duty personnel not to be afraid of retirement but to carve out a niche for themselves in whatever capacity they found themselves in.
“We should be happy with whatever position you find yourself in; be grateful to God and create a niche for yourself,” he said.
Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC Secretary, praised the retired directors for their hard work and dedication to service.
Mrs. Maryam Musa, Director, INEC Secretariat, on behalf of Oriaran-Anthony, congratulated them and wished them luck in their future endeavors.
Dr. Binta Kasim, the INEC Director of Training, advised the retirees to spend their retirement doing whatever they enjoyed.
“We have a lot of people who still had a lot of achievements after retirement, including the owner of KFC; some others wrote books that fetched them good money,” Kasim said.
Mrs. Blessing Obidiegwu, speaking on their behalf, said they were the last group of INEC pioneer staff.
She was grateful to the commission for the opportunity to serve.
She urged those currently serving to continue doing their best for the commission while also advocating that the panel’s gender policy be maintained.
