Some officials of the Board had connived with some Bank officials defrauding families of the decease pensioners and the state government millions of naira on monthly basis for the payments of non existence pensioners” Almuru alleged.
Mr Samson Almuru , state chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, expressed dissatisfaction on the way and manner the ongoing verification exercise is been conducted in the state.
The State Government who organised the Exercise in an effort to detect Ghost pensioners,the Chairman said is a welcome development ,but it was not well prepared to carter and protect the need and interest of the genuine pensioners in the state.
His words ” The verification exercise is a welcome development ,however; our representatives at the venue of the screening are not allowed to have access to the master lists.
” Some officials of the Board had connived with some Bank officials defrauding families of the decease pensioners and the state government millions of naira on monthly basis for the payments of non existence pensioners” Almuru alleged.
“He said the union has genuine record of its registered members across the state including those that passed away.” He said
He alleged that during the verification, the union members had detected and chased away many underage who are not up to 40 years pretended to be pensioners.
He said the union had its offices across the 21 local government area’s with their representatives in all the 226 wards in the state.
The submission of Adamawa State management of Pension Board and the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners over the issue were perceived to be in confusion over alleged ghost Pensioners detected in the state payroll.
The TGNEWS reports that the accusation started when the board management commenced verification of over 8,000 pensioners who retired under the state civil service.
Almuru accused the staff of the state pension board for blocking their members to fully take part in the screening exercise.
He alleged that the reason why their members were blocked from participation fully in the verification was for fear of exposing the names of deceases and fake pensioners from the master lists.
He advised government to critically look at the issue of purported ghost pensioners ,and address the matter squarely.
Responding, Mr. Joab Sahma, Permanent Secretary, Adamawa pension board described the allegations as malicious and unguided.
Sahma said he was surprised to hear that that statement was from the Nigerian Union of Pensioners.
” When we conceived the idea of the verification exercise I went together with my Deputy Permanent Secretary to the state office of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to intimate them about the exercise, which they accepted.
” I told the chairman and his executives that the monthly payment of Pensioners in the state is always on increased despite the fact that so many Pensioners had died long time ago but appears they are still receiving their monthly pension.
” He ( Almuru ) accepted the idea and all their state and local government exco are fully involved in the screening .
” On the issue of alleged board members conniving with banks to defraud either the family of the deceased pensioners or government , the allegation is unfounded and malicious ”
Sahma said.
He said the board was not the one paying the pensioners their monthly allowances , the authority responsible for the payments was the office of the accountant general.
On the allegation of underage verification, he said those alleged underaged came to accompany their aged parents or due to illness to assist them be verified
He said reports reaching the board was that some families of the decease pensioners were those cheating the government despite the fact that the pensioner died ,but they will not report to the board , but still go and withdraw the pension money from the decease account.
