Politics
KILLING CITIZENS SLOWLY: 10 States owe pensioners 203 months after collecting N153bn bail out fund
A recent report published by Budgit, a social advocacy platform primarily engaged in simplifying the budget and matters of public spending for citizens, has blown the lid on how some State governments in Nigeria may be slowing killing their citizens through systematic denial of pension benefits.
Titled, ‘State of States Salaries Survey,’ the publication details, amongst others, the number of months each State in the country is owing its pensioners. Of the 36 States that make up the Nigerian federation, 10 States are observed to have notoriously owed their retirees 203 months in outstanding pension arrears by mid May, 2017.
They are Abia (19), Bayelsa (13), Benue (12), Ekiti (11 ), Imo (24), Kogi (17), Niger (36), Rivers (28), Taraba (36), and Nasarawa (7).
Particularly appalling is another report which also reveals that the listed States may not have diligently applied the refunds made by the Federal Government from Paris Club debts. The 10 States under review are said to have received the sum of N153.42 billion with an understanding that 50% of the said income would be deployed for salaries and other liabilities.
The breakdown of Paris Club refunds for the 10 States are as follows: Abia (N11.43bn), Bayelsa (N24.89bn), Benue (13.71bn), Ekiti (9.55bn), Imo ((14bn), kogi (12.06bn) Niger (14.42bn), Rivers (34.93bn), Taraba (9.33bn), and Nasarawa (9.10bn).
The administration of pensions in Nigeria remains a huge window for public officials to corruptly enrich themselves. In April 2012, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed that it uncovered N5billion fraud in the Pensions Unit of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS).
Another high profile case handled by the anti-graft agency was that of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, who was declared wanted for his alleged role in the fraudulent biometric contracts through which himself and former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, allegedly embezzled over N2bn of pension funds.
In 2016, the Federal Ministry of Finance confirmed the suspension of the Director General of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Nellie Mayshak. It alleged at the time that she had been indicted in a damning audit report which claimed that she and others could not account for pension funds totaling about N2bn.
The abuse of office has left many retired civil servants dead and frustrated with a 2016 survey estimating the number of pension-related deaths at over 1300.
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JOHNSON PETER
June 12, 2017 at 9:42 am
Okorocha of Imo is a pain in the ass. How can he abandoned the pensioners who had suffered for years in service and he is enjoying everyday. Can he allow his father to face the hardship these people are facing?
yanju omotodun
June 12, 2017 at 10:07 am
If you are complaining of Imo, then what do we say of Kogi state? Their workers have been on strike for 6months now and the governor keeps parading in expensive jeeps thereabout. And these governors are Apc governors, can we see that Apc is not the desired messiah?
Ahmadu W. Atakpo
June 13, 2017 at 4:08 am
Most you add politics to everything, is Rivers State an APC state.
Are these States APC states?
Abia (N11.43bn), Bayelsa (N24.89bn), Ekiti (9.55bn) Rivers (34.93bn), Taraba (9.33bn). Total 90.13bn
Benue (13.71bn), Imo ((14bn), kogi (12.06bn) Niger (14.42bn) Nasarawa (9.10bn). Total 63.29bn
PDP States are owning 107 months out of he 203 months. APC states are owning 96 months. Or do you still believe in 16 is greater 19?
Nobody is discussing politics here, what they are discussing here is governance.
I read all the comments here, is only you that mentioned a political party
Joy Madu
June 12, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Okorocha is a wicked man who deserve nothing but jailed for such art over the pensioners. I believe in old age of okorocha he will suffer and never see pity from anyone
seyi jelili
June 12, 2017 at 10:34 am
Efcc should grill the 10 state governors to explain where they kept their Paris fund they gave to them
Abeni Adebisi
June 12, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Explanation is long thing, they should ll be thrown to jail. There’s nothing they can say that will justify why they decided not to pay pensioners
Anita Kingsley
June 12, 2017 at 12:43 pm
Civil servants in some states are only working for free, from the moment they get employed by these states, they should have it at the back of their minds that, they are working for the sake of it, not good return will come
Animashaun Ayodeji
June 12, 2017 at 1:57 pm
All these are happening because there’s no working rule and regulation dealing with cases like this in Nigeria. It is not only ungodly to pocket someone’s sweat, it is evil and the government should do something about it.