BY EZEKIEL DONTINNA
The prayer of every civil servant is to see himself or herself sail smoothly through the service years without any hitches to reach the mandatory retirement age healthy and boisterous.
Celebrating God’s faithfulness and favour through this journey which sometimes appears rough and smooth is really worth doing, because not all who were in this race ended up well or alive.
For Mrs. Theodora Damulak, the immediate past Director, Information in the Plateau State Ministry for Information and Communication, it was quite a fulfilled journey to her having served the Plateau State Government for thirty-five (35) years.
She demonstrated that recently, when she took to St. Finbarr’s Catholic Parish Rayfield Jos, her joy in thanksgiving to God for successfully completing the mandatory retirement age of 35 starting from 1989.
Damulak, said, “I am really happy having served for 35 years. When I started this journey in 1989 at Jos Main Market Authority, I did not know that I will one day rise to the position of a Director of Information in the Plateau State Ministry for Information and Communication which I served for 10 years.
“I am most grateful to God and to all the people I have come in contact with in the course of this duty. Although, some of them have given me headache, while some gave me joy, but the headache were a challenge for me to do better and I am grateful.
“I am again grateful to God because he has kept me in good health and I have achieved a lot. I have contributed my quota to the Plateau State Government and I pray to God that, He will continue to sustain me in good health and long life”, she prayed.
The retired Director of Information, encouraged intending retirees to not see retirement as a death sentence, but as an opportunity for them to rest and learn new things set for the opportunity that comes for them to availed themselves to serve humanity.
Earlier, the Parish Priest of St. Finbarr’s Parish Rayfield, Rev. Fr. Dennis Mancha, commended Theodora Damulak, for giving back thanks to God the glory for successful retirement and encouraged her to take life easy because there was another step in life for her.
He advised those still working to plan for their retirement wisely, because the experiences of those who have retired from service in Nigeria was not impressive and unpleasant, hence the need for them prepare to face the current realities.
A retiree from the federal public service, Mr. Pius Daruan, congratulated Theodora for successful retirement expressing concern that the system has not been favourable to retirees due to the meagre pensions they received monthly.
He, however, disclosed that since his retirement in 2021, he has not seen his pension and that, it was possible to have similar situation with others saying, “in such a situation, one has to travel to Abuja to rectify this to find out why. I am calling on government at all levels to consider the plight of retired workers”.
Earlier, the younger brother to celebrant, Mr. Wulashik Dafaan, described Mrs. Damulak as a mother to all of them saying, “I have a feeling of joy, gratitude and appreciation to God for seeing her through the thirty-five (35) years of service to this end.
“My sister is a very hardworking and dedicated woman and it is evident in the calibre of people who came to celebrate with her as she bows out of service. It is one thing go into the service and it is another thing to successfully complete the 35 years in service meritoriously without any blame”.
Meanwhile, the husband of the Celebrant, Alias Damulak, thanked God for successful retirement having served for 35 years healthy and sound. “Now that she is retired, if she likes, can join me in the private sector where I am working.
For her friend and former colleague in the profession, Mrs. Deborah Habila and her son, Mr. Emmanuel Damulak, it was celebration galore moreso that, she would be easily reach.