Lawmaker wants pension funds mis-managers jailed

WORRIED about the administration of pension funds in the country, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishments and Public Service, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has advocated that those found wanting in the administration of the funds should be jailed.

Senator Ojudu, who expressed dissatisfaction over the way and manner pensioners are subjected to untold suffering and hardship in all parts of the federation, also suggested that if the office of the Head of Civil Service fails in the discharge of its duties in managing the affairs of pensioners, the responsibility should be taken away from it and handed over to PENCOM for proper management.

He bared his mind yesterday while fielding questions from journalists on the activities of the Joint Committee on Establishments and Public Service, State and Local Government Administration, during a forum on comprehensive investigation of pension payments, management and administration in Nigeria, North- West Zone, held in Kaduna.

The lawmaker argued: “One is particularly worried about the way things are going on, especially for pensioners in Nigeria. We have been to Lagos, Uyo and other places and the kind of stories we have heard have not been very impressive ones.

“One works all his useful life to serve the country and he retires at the end of the day and he is made to face hunger and misery. It is a very bad one”.

Ojudu added: “What we are going to do, particularly when we get to sit in Abuja, is to identify all those who have stolen all these monies and ensure that they are handed over to the agencies of government that are supposed to investigate and punish corruption. Those who have stolen pensioners’ money when found out, should be jailed”.

“It is a crime against humanity, which should be investigated and punished. If the office of the Head of Civil Service cannot carry out this assignment effectively, let us remove the job from there and harmonise the pensions system and bring all the pensioners in Nigeria under PENCOM, which was created by the Act of Parliament eight years ago and ensure that this is well done”.

Ojodu explained that the essence of the public hearing was to identify the magnitude of the problems and also those who are involved in the theft of pensioners’ funds and also to re-organise the pensions administration to end the fraud.

He stressed further that the verification exercise, which involves pensioners’ travelling a long distance and in the process many of them collapse and die, will soon be a thing of the past.