Stakeholders Frown At Alleged Massive Fraud At Enugu Pension Fund

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria Saturday, September 16th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Participants at a one day Town hall meeting held in Enugu have decried the alarming rate of alleged corruption and lack of accountability in the administration of pension fund in Nigeria, using Enugu state as a case study, calling on all Stakeholders, including anti-Corruption agencies and labour leaders to join hands in fighting the cancer worm.

The Town Hall meeting equally identified the disconnect between the government and the governed as a source of mistrust and lack of accountability in the administration of pensions to retirees in Enugu state.

They insisted that for the issue to be addressed head long, Stakeholders such as the “Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and labour leaders must join hands together in fighting the cancer worm.

The Stakeholders stated this in a Communique they issued at the end of the Town Hall meeting organized by a Non governmental organization (NGO), Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), with the support of MacArthur Foundation held in Enugu.

The Town Hall Meeting with the theme: “ACCOUNTABILTY ISSUES IN THE PAYMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS IN ENUGU STATE”

according to (WAMAC) Executive Director /project Manager, Zubair Abdurrauf Idris, was to amplify the Fight against Corruption in the system in the state.

Our Correspondent reports that Participants were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, People with Disabilities (PWD’s), Community and Faith Based groups, anti-Corruption agencies, Pensioners association and labour leaders.

At the end of the Town Hall meeting, the participants resolved to fast tract the Fight Against Corruption in the state through Community Participation.

The Communique read by the project Manager said” the Town Hall meeting has identified the disconnect between the governance and governed as a source of mistrust and lack of accountability in the administration on pensions to retirees in Enugu state.

“Participants called for active participation of stakeholders towards ensuring prompt payment of pensioner entitlements and arrears and commend the Enugu state governments for restoring hope of local government pensioners by the new administration.

“The Town Hall noted the greatest challenges of pension administration which leads to transactional corruption at all levels due to lack of openness and accountability tracking processes.

It added: “the Town Hall Meeting identified challenges encountered by pensioners in other parastatals and urged the local government Chairmen to immediately start remittance to Local government pension board for prompt payment of pensioners and arrears.

“Participants advocate for continued enforcement of anti-corruption agencies, EFCC and ICPC mandates on preventive measures and enforcement to fight the menace.

“The meeting commended the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for their efforts and advocacy in the fight against corruption and urged governments to pay entitlements of pensioners as at when due.

” Participants frowned at social crimes and electronic crimes such as Cyber-crimes, trafficking of persons and other new faces of social corruption that are retrogressive to development.

“Also, participants call for social inclusion for PWDs and implementation of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)Participants commended the Enugu state governments for setting up a committee of pension administration stakeholders and labour leaders to review the Pension Scheme in Enugu State with a view to adopt the Contributory Pension Scheme.

“The Town Hall meeting commended Dteam FM Radio, Enugu, and other media organisations; Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) and McArthur Foundation for their efforts in the fight against corruption.

Presenting a paper earlier, the guest Speaker, Barrister Crownwell Chibuzo Godson, who is the Coordinator, Advocacy partnership for good governance, had blamed some of the anormalies being experienced in the pension administration system on lack of proper legislation.

He regretted that after making huge sacrifices for the existence of father land, pensioners are made to face untold hardship in their respective States, Enugu inclusive, urging all Stakeholders to join hands in changing the ugly narrative.