PENSION MAFIA
THE PENSION MAFIA: PERSPECTIVE OF A PENSIONER.
The pension matters came to a head, creating a historic mafia in Nigeria that surpasses the original Italian mafia in scope and drama. The pension mafia is one out of many such mafia groups that emerged in Nigeria in the last two decades which coincided with our return to democracy; 1999 to date. During the military regimes pension matter was not subjected to the massive abuse and bastardisation witnessed in the last two decades. One can safely concludes that the coming on board of the legislators in democracy exacerbated the corruption witnessed and perpetrated in the pension pay points, especially the Head of service of the federation office, the police pension office and the military pension. The payment of core civil servants pension in the Head of Service office, I believe, was as a consequence of the 'inefficient and corrupt' handling by the then ministries and agencies who were paying. The Head of service office became worst alternative.
The pension mafia is perhaps the worst corruption scandle in Nigeria's history; all encompassing, involving the largest number of people as perpetrators and victims, involving very large amount of funds, using the pensioners plight to get money released by government, 90% of which never reach pensioners. The pensioners ( mafia victims) sufferings include death, stark poverty, helplessness and resentment and resignation. I am one of the victims of the most callous injustices, open denial of right by their illegal actions, impunity, arrogance and official recklessness witnessed in governance in Nigeria's history. I saw a payment voucher in my file in the Head of Service office in 2008 and was assured by an executive officer that I would be paid by the next week and told I could go back to Yola and wait for payment. Till today I've not seen the 2.5 million pension pv payment! I continued without payment till 2010 after Maina team verification. A total of forty one months pension arrears not settled up till today! I made over seventeen trips from Yola to Abuja to no avail. Even with the establishment of PTAD I' m yet to be settled.
I have suffered personal pride, economic down turns and the education of my children suffered, my entire family disorganized. My attempted businesses failed just as my health. I had two eye operations in Yola Eye Centre and ECWA Eye Hospital in Kano courtesy of the assistance of the Deputy Governor, Adamawa State in 2015. I would've gone blind if not for his intervention. ( H. E was my chemistry student, GSS Ganye, 1975). Corruption in Nigeria aside, I would urge the president, Muhammad Buhari, who was elected by Nigerians who believed that you are down to earth an honest man who will salvage the country from the dangerous decay in all facets; security, economy,, governance, peaceful coexistence etc. to expeditionsly look into the following areas and take decisive actions that will reassure Nigerians that you are in charge and that we will get justice as soon as and as fast when you are presented with the genuine situation. As Nigerians and victims of the impunity over our lives and that of our progenies we, pensioners, will never be satisfied until all perpetrators of the dastardly acts of pension funds theft are all brought to justice and pensioners who were shortchanged paid all arrears and compensated for the suffering and humiliation.
The specific areas worth in- depth and critical look as pointed out earlier by a journalist, victim of pension mafia, Muhammad Sabo Abubakar of Global Productions Company, are as follows:
1. The assets, mainly houses and vehicles handed over to EFCC by the MAINA Task Team ( PRTT) should be accounted for by receiving authorities. Assets said to include over 220 houses of which some are worth billions of naira. One such building on 42 GANA Street found itself with AA Oil who sold it to à Law firm. The building was said to be worth more than 2 billion naira.
2. The MAINA Task Team ( PRTT) was reported to have saved 282billion naira in CBN account out of which the Senate approved 74 billion naira to prosecute 2012 budget. Where is the balance of 208 billion naira?
3. The Aloysius Etuk Senate Committee report in 2013 which was said to be compromised to favor pension looters but failed to shield them.The five petitioned EFCC and ICPC. Where are the two agencies' reports on the petition from the five fund looters?
4. The worst connivance to loot the Commonwealth was when it was reported that Senate approved 5.2 billion naira monthly to Head of Service office for payment of pensions before MAINA Task Team was set up. After a most thorough, scientific verification exercise in 2010, the monthly pension bill was down to 825 million naira! This was even when many of us were enrolled for the first time substantially adding to the monthly pension bill in the HoS office! Where is the monthly balance of over 4.5billion naira? For God knows how many months or years before the truth surfaced.
A similar scenario played out with the Police Pension where MAINA committee found 482 million naira in stead of the 1.5 billion monthly approved by the senate. Where is the balance?
With these revelations, who is MAINA not be killed or chased out of Nigeria? After blocking access to the Honeywell looters were virtually exposed. So how could MAINA exist in Nigeria? Nigeria government must protect MAINA from possible elimination of his life. Maina, if well handled will turn out be blessing to Nigeria. He would be a hero.
The EFCC and other involved agencies must be called to order by the PMB where their lapses and involvements, if any, are cleared, sanctioned, pardoned and then further empowered to perform better. Those of them who might have compromised should be weeded out.
The President should take the chances presented by the Mainagate and make bold statement as regarding the fight against corruption. Any delay or inaction on the part of government on the pension Mafia may give room for corruption to fight back. The president should act decisively now.
Sa'adu Abubakar. Retired Deputy Director Education, former Principal FGC Sokoto (2003 - 2006).
The pension matters came to a head, creating a historic mafia in Nigeria that surpasses the original Italian mafia in scope and drama. The pension mafia is one out of many such mafia groups that emerged in Nigeria in the last two decades which coincided with our return to democracy; 1999 to date. During the military regimes pension matter was not subjected to the massive abuse and bastardisation witnessed in the last two decades. One can safely concludes that the coming on board of the legislators in democracy exacerbated the corruption witnessed and perpetrated in the pension pay points, especially the Head of service of the federation office, the police pension office and the military pension. The payment of core civil servants pension in the Head of Service office, I believe, was as a consequence of the 'inefficient and corrupt' handling by the then ministries and agencies who were paying. The Head of service office became worst alternative.
The pension mafia is perhaps the worst corruption scandle in Nigeria's history; all encompassing, involving the largest number of people as perpetrators and victims, involving very large amount of funds, using the pensioners plight to get money released by government, 90% of which never reach pensioners. The pensioners ( mafia victims) sufferings include death, stark poverty, helplessness and resentment and resignation. I am one of the victims of the most callous injustices, open denial of right by their illegal actions, impunity, arrogance and official recklessness witnessed in governance in Nigeria's history. I saw a payment voucher in my file in the Head of Service office in 2008 and was assured by an executive officer that I would be paid by the next week and told I could go back to Yola and wait for payment. Till today I've not seen the 2.5 million pension pv payment! I continued without payment till 2010 after Maina team verification. A total of forty one months pension arrears not settled up till today! I made over seventeen trips from Yola to Abuja to no avail. Even with the establishment of PTAD I' m yet to be settled.
I have suffered personal pride, economic down turns and the education of my children suffered, my entire family disorganized. My attempted businesses failed just as my health. I had two eye operations in Yola Eye Centre and ECWA Eye Hospital in Kano courtesy of the assistance of the Deputy Governor, Adamawa State in 2015. I would've gone blind if not for his intervention. ( H. E was my chemistry student, GSS Ganye, 1975). Corruption in Nigeria aside, I would urge the president, Muhammad Buhari, who was elected by Nigerians who believed that you are down to earth an honest man who will salvage the country from the dangerous decay in all facets; security, economy,, governance, peaceful coexistence etc. to expeditionsly look into the following areas and take decisive actions that will reassure Nigerians that you are in charge and that we will get justice as soon as and as fast when you are presented with the genuine situation. As Nigerians and victims of the impunity over our lives and that of our progenies we, pensioners, will never be satisfied until all perpetrators of the dastardly acts of pension funds theft are all brought to justice and pensioners who were shortchanged paid all arrears and compensated for the suffering and humiliation.
The specific areas worth in- depth and critical look as pointed out earlier by a journalist, victim of pension mafia, Muhammad Sabo Abubakar of Global Productions Company, are as follows:
1. The assets, mainly houses and vehicles handed over to EFCC by the MAINA Task Team ( PRTT) should be accounted for by receiving authorities. Assets said to include over 220 houses of which some are worth billions of naira. One such building on 42 GANA Street found itself with AA Oil who sold it to à Law firm. The building was said to be worth more than 2 billion naira.
2. The MAINA Task Team ( PRTT) was reported to have saved 282billion naira in CBN account out of which the Senate approved 74 billion naira to prosecute 2012 budget. Where is the balance of 208 billion naira?
3. The Aloysius Etuk Senate Committee report in 2013 which was said to be compromised to favor pension looters but failed to shield them.The five petitioned EFCC and ICPC. Where are the two agencies' reports on the petition from the five fund looters?
4. The worst connivance to loot the Commonwealth was when it was reported that Senate approved 5.2 billion naira monthly to Head of Service office for payment of pensions before MAINA Task Team was set up. After a most thorough, scientific verification exercise in 2010, the monthly pension bill was down to 825 million naira! This was even when many of us were enrolled for the first time substantially adding to the monthly pension bill in the HoS office! Where is the monthly balance of over 4.5billion naira? For God knows how many months or years before the truth surfaced.
A similar scenario played out with the Police Pension where MAINA committee found 482 million naira in stead of the 1.5 billion monthly approved by the senate. Where is the balance?
With these revelations, who is MAINA not be killed or chased out of Nigeria? After blocking access to the Honeywell looters were virtually exposed. So how could MAINA exist in Nigeria? Nigeria government must protect MAINA from possible elimination of his life. Maina, if well handled will turn out be blessing to Nigeria. He would be a hero.
The EFCC and other involved agencies must be called to order by the PMB where their lapses and involvements, if any, are cleared, sanctioned, pardoned and then further empowered to perform better. Those of them who might have compromised should be weeded out.
The President should take the chances presented by the Mainagate and make bold statement as regarding the fight against corruption. Any delay or inaction on the part of government on the pension Mafia may give room for corruption to fight back. The president should act decisively now.
Sa'adu Abubakar. Retired Deputy Director Education, former Principal FGC Sokoto (2003 - 2006).
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