Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina

Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina
| credits: File copy

The Pension Reform Task Force has said it has discovered over 73,000 fake pension accounts illegally opened by government officials from two pension departments of the Federal Government.

The Information and Media Relations Officer, PRT, Mr. Hassan Salihu, who disclosed this to our correspondent exclusively on Tuesday, said that the team had, however, deleted the accounts and saved several billions of naira from being stolen.

He added that the PRT had been able to block several loopholes through which government officials were siphoning money from the country and depriving genuine pensioners their monthly stipends.

“The PRT traced and cracked pension cartels in the entire country, stopped the stealing of billions of naira monthly by pension robbers, disallowed further stealing and deleted over 73,000 fake pensioners’ names in just two pension offices,” Salihu said.

The National Union of Pensioners, in a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Establishment, Public Service Matters and Management of Pension Funds, had complained that lots of ghost pensioners were being paid monthly stipends, while genuine pensioners were removed from payrolls.

According to the union, from 2002 to date, the names of many pensioners have been omitted from the pension payroll and all efforts to put them back have proved abortive.

It noted that the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which is saddled with the payment of the pension of federal pensioners and the Federal Government’s share to state pensioners, was responsible for most of the problems being faced by pensioners in the country.

The union noted in its memorandum, “It seems that there is a big, strong tree of fraud with lateral roots in the HOS office, while the branches are deemed to be in all states and organisations throughout the federation.

“Unfortunately, it is a curse to serve the government and retire in Nigeria because Nigerian pensioners begin their journey to sorrow, hardship and sufferings after retirement, and so, their rest is bitter after labour.”

http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/govt-officials-opened-73000-fake-pension-accounts-task-force/


WHERE IS THIS COUNTRY HEADING TO?

den don hang ham? of-course no!

You can Imagine! Na wa oo.

Not 1000 but 73000 haba! this should be labelled the biggest scam of the decade in Nigeria

Rogue Nation.

This is a absolute crap and totally unacceptable. You discover fraud and leave those who perpetrated the fraud untouched? Are the folks who make up this task force so dumb and silly?
We have heard your claim that over 70,000 accounts were opened - what we need to know is what you are doing about the criminals both in the pension offices and the banks too!

DOOM PERIOD, THIS ARE PURE SIGNS OF THE END OF THE STORY
BE PREPARED

Those guys involved should be brought to book and prosecute them so that it will serve as a lesson to others. Its just a pity. My father was a ritired primary schooj head master but he stay almost 2oyrs without been paid his ritirement or other pension benfit that curse his death. Its just too bad that those we called our leader are the once killing us. Let do the right thing come year 2012. Let elect leader that will help us fight corruption. Thank u

I hav got to believe that the average nigerian is a thief, I am sure those pension officials will be among those condemning d goverment of corruption. Enough is enough o.

I weep for this country!!!

This people should be tired on the stake and shot. This is wickedness, man's inhummanity to man.
The sovreign national conference should be held now to address how we are governed and alot of issues. The corruption in this land is getting ou of hand.

Why shouldn't these guys be skin alive. I am f@*kin sick of this country and all of us pretending all is well.

This country has too much money eh! 73000 accounts wow!

Segun, O:
DOOM PERIOD, THIS ARE PURE SIGNS OF THE END OF THE STORY
BE PREPARED

You mean end of Nigeria.

abioila: I weep for this country!!!

... Not like mine.

abioila: I weep for this country!!!

Dude, water don nearly finish 4 my eyes.

Was it not the same pension task force that had its chairman before the House committee charged amongst other things spending some collosal amount (can't remember) sending 50+ officials abroad to authenticate some 30 or so pensioners. Even the IG ordered his arrest for fraudulently using his name to collect estacode. When the doctor catches the infection, what do you do. Corruption has assumed 3rd stage cancerous proportion. In a few years it may become impossible to tackle. The value of the industry will soon outstrip our GNP.

Haaaaaa with oil money frm naija delta? GOD punish all the people involved and their tribes

This is a country where nobody is punished for corruption. It is sad to see a lot of corrupt Nigerians, who are supposed to be six feet under, still standing six feet tall.

There are 2 types of corrupption: need and greed!
Corruption will not seize in nigeria not until serving government officials are liable to punishment while in office. When those in power are made to pay for there greedy sins, then those of needs will adjust.

How about capital punishment for people like this,after they are confirmed DEAD,Acid poured on their corpse.

Reference: Was it not the same pension task force that had its chairman before the House committee charged amongst other things spending some collosal amount (can't remember) sending 50+ officials abroad to authenticate some 30 or so pensioners. Even the IG ordered his arrest for fraudulently using his name to collect estacode. When the doctor catches the infection, what do you do. Corruption has assumed 3rd stage cancerous proportion. In a few years it may become impossible to tackle. The value of the industry will soon outstrip our GNP.

spent over 200m on foreign trip to verify de pensioners and dey willl ask de ppensioners in ogoja mubi or offa to come to abuja for verification.
dis country is somethin else

p. rimzi:
This is a absolute crap and totally unacceptable. You discover fraud and leave those who perpetrated the fraud untouched? Are the folks who make up this task force so dumb and silly?
We have heard your claim that over 70,000 accounts were opened - what we need to know is what you are doing about the criminals both in the pension offices and the banks too!

well said

Dats unacceptable,those who opened the account should face the wrath of law. Deleting those accounts is not enough..greed at its peak!

Naija thief thief, everybody stealing in every capacity.

p. rimzi:
This is a absolute crap and totally unacceptable. You discover fraud and leave those who perpetrated the fraud untouched? Are the folks who make up this task force so dumb and silly?
We have heard your claim that over 70,000 accounts were opened - what we need to know is what you are doing about the criminals both in the pension offices and the banks too!

If you had left your post at absolute Crap, I would still have loved it.

WHO are the government officials that opened those accounts?!

E-payment of pensions have been in place for quite a while so these fraudsters are easy to catch. . .

73,000 Fake accounts and not one arrest!!! Why do these people call us idiots na!!

I'm not even weeping for this country anymore. . . Like I keep saying, the propblem with Nigeria is NIGERIANS.

We stalled activities in Nigeria because of the removal of fuel subsidy that was designed to lighten the burden on the federation account, BUT!!! When the House of Reps & Assembly increased their salaries to almost 25million Naira per quarter, not one protest anywhere, The Senate President is in INDIA recieving medical care. . NO PROTEST, when all the things for which we should be actually protesting comes up, we act ignorant and look the other way. .

Welcome to the shithole called Nigeria, WE made it what it is today and Until we are ready to change things, it will continue to be a SHITHOLE.

73000 false accounts and no mention or prosecutions

Our biggest criminals always getting pats on the back.

you guys are pathetic.....every time i see this kind of news on here all you say is"nawa oh, what is this counrty turning into?"
pathetic i say, you need to be the change you want to see
Nigeria needs a revolution. yes a revolution like the french revolution
if those corrupt officials are not used as scape goats for others to see u will always have a bad governance in Nigeria.

[qoute] The pension Reform Task Force has said it has discovered over 73,000 fake pension accounts illegally opened by government officials [b]from two pension departments [/b]of the Federal Goverment [/qoute]
??
From which banks are those ghosts opened the accounts? Definately those banks aided the fraud. IN JUST TWO DEPARTMENTS!!!!!

okunboy: [qoute] The pension Reform Task Force has said it has discovered over 73,000 fake pension accounts illegally opened by government officials [b]from two pension departments [/b]of the Federal Goverment [/qoute]
??
From which banks are those ghosts opened the accounts? Definately those banks aided the fraud. IN JUST TWO DEPARTMENTS!!!!!

GBAM!!!!!!

So you get my annoyance. .

Every federal and state parastatal makes every pensioner open an account with certain banks in order for their pension payments to be easily done. NOW!! How did 73,000 fake bank accounts materialize without being spotted?! Espcially now that to withdraw even 20 Naira sef, the banks almost require DNA sampling. How come 2 departments had a fraud count of up to 73,000 and not one arrest has been made. Not even the heads of this department were this scam took place, because the heads of these departments must have a comprehensive list of the workers in its current employ and a list of those who have retired and are entitled to pension. . How come 73,000 extra people were added to their list and they didnt notice?!

Everybody that has to do with money, finance, H.R and pensions should be arrested and tried.

Surely it will never be well with those officers in the PRT who have conspired to defraud genuine pensioners their hard earned pay after life in service!

God will definitely see to it they won't see the light of the day!