The
last time I checked, there were ongoing rigorous payments of pension arrears in
Imo, the Eastern Heartland. The gesture might not be unconnected with the
pledge recently tendered by the state’s number-one citizen, Governor Rochas
Okorocha.
It
would be recalled that on Thursday 20th July 2017, the governor via
a press release confirmed the receipt of seven billion naira Paris Club refund
from the Federal Government (FG). He went further to disclose that the Rescue
Mission Administration would use the fund to clear the backlog of pension
arrears, commencing from January 2017 till date. He equally stated that
workers’ salaries would as well be paid with the fund.
The
release recognized that the government had earlier promised to start paying the
pensioners on a monthly basis beginning from the first month of 2017. The
statement read in parts ‘the government kept this promise in abeyance following the steady and
disturbing increase in the number of pensioners and the amount involved, worrisomely
snowballing to more than #1.5 billion’.
Consequently,
in August the following month, the government began a holistic verification of
the teeming pensioners across the Local Government councils in the state having
set up a Pension Verification Committee. The exercise was concluded as planned.
It’s worth noting that those who were indisposed owing to illness or what have
you, were captured via video call at the Children’s Recreation Park opposite
Concorde Hotel Owerri as was conducted by the said screening panel.
In subsequent to the concluded verification,
payment began in earnest as scheduled, and still ongoing. Any other individual
or leader would have allowed the written cheques to be collected by proxy since
each of the pensioners had painstakingly been verified, but the governor
insisted that they must come in person to clear their cheques. The governor’s
decision was informed by the compelling need to ensure that no foul play is
involved throughout the exercise with a view to discovering the loopholes that
had warranted the excesses recorded in the past as well as fishing out the bad
eggs therein.
Most of the senior citizens grumbled over the
directive of the governor, which they tagged ‘uncalled for and inconsequential
inconvenience’. But it’s noteworthy that the said directive of the government
under the watch of Gov. Okorocha had yielded a worthwhile fruit thus far. It is
good to acknowledge that the prangs played by some of the account officers had
reportedly been revealed, and the culpable officers fished out, in the ongoing
process.
One may wish to know how those prangs
were discovered. Having written the cheques by the concerned staff of the
state’s Pension Board, the governor went ahead to engage virtually all the
Directors of Account (DAs) presently serving in various ministries and
parastatals in the state. The prime duty of the DAs was to ensure that only one
cheque was written for a particular pensioner as well as ensure that the cheque
is duly confirmed and collected by the beneficiary whose name is inscribed on
it.
So far, we have learnt that a given
pensioner’s name was written on different cheques, probably three cheque papers
or thereabouts. For instance, if Mr. A is meant to collect #5, rather #15 or
more would leave the state’s coffer for that particular name in a case where
three cheques were written in that very name. In some cases, the cheques were
written in the names of non-pensioners. You could imagine the excesses? This
was how these account personnel had been rolling for years now unnoticed, not
until this point when the governor thought it wise to take the bull by the
horn.
No wonder why in the past when
pensioners collect their cheques, before they could get to their respective
banks, they would be told that the account where the pension fund is domiciled
had been emptied. Little did they realize that several non-pensioners were
withdrawing from the same account to the detriment of the real beneficiaries.
Now the thunderous breeze had blown open the dirty ass of the fowl.
I
candidly commend the governor for this giant stride. This accomplishment is arguably
best of its kind. With this development, I am sure the pensioners can now be
paid as and when due without much ado. I equally appreciate everyone who had
played one key role or the other towards ascertaining the above lapses, thus
wish that more feathers would be added to their wings.
However,
this scrutiny mustn’t stop at this juncture. The government who has started
this exemplary move needs to ensure that everyone found culpable is henceforth
duly prosecuted having shown the way out. It suffices to say that no mercy ought
to be displayed by the relevant authorities. The indicted staff ought to be
handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for
corresponding actions to be taken thereof. This would go a long way to serve as
a deterrent to other prospective ones. I’m also not unaware that a few
politicians might be accomplices to these civil servants; hence, they must
equally be fished out so that the system would be holistically free from sycophants
and hypocrites.
Above all, I have been reliably
informed that only three months pension arrears are being paid to the senior
citizens rather than eight months as earlier pledged. The report indicates that
they were asked to come back the following week for the remaining ones. Against
this backdrop, I urge the government to endeavour to do the needful so that in
the long run, there won’t be any more exchange of words between them and these
revered pensioners who had indeed served the state meritoriously. I may not be
one of them but I feel and share their grief, thus I plead with the government
to stick to its promise.
Similarly, there should equally be an
arrangement that would enable those who are currently bedridden or residing outside
the country to collect their cheques. In view of this, I’m of the view that the
video call measure deployed during the verification era ought to be redeployed
at this time. This would ensure that no beneficiary is sidelined as long as the
exercise lasts.
Most importantly, there’s a compelling need
for the governor to make an alternative arrangement towards ensuring that in
subsequent time, the collection of cheques would be decentralized. The old men
and women should be saved from the torture of covering distances in order to
possess their cheques. The government must note that most of these individuals are
weak and aged, thus deserved to be pampered.
In acknowledgement of the above fact,
let various teams be set up, so that, the pensioners can collect their cheques
at their respective wards. The need for setting up numerous teams is to ensure
that the exercise is conducted simultaneously and just on one day, rather than
the ongoing style where each LGA would be involved on a particular day.
So, as much as I appreciate the governor for
this remarkable effort showcased by his administration, I enjoin His Excellency
to ensure that henceforth we shall be awash with progressive discussions and
happenings instead of retrogressive ones. This is purely the dream of all, and
not mine. Think about it!
Comrade FDN Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub - Owerri______________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador
No comments:
Post a Comment