Rescuing public pension from thieves

THE unfolding multi-trillion naira federal pension fraud advertises to the entire world that corruption has overwhelmed the Nigerian state. When the Senate, the upper legislative chamber, throws up its hands and says it has handed over an official it accuses of pilfering public funds “to God”, it signposts its utter helplessness over the very important task of tackling corruption in public places.
But Nigerians cannot afford the luxury of watching over N3 trillion provided for public sector retirees disappear into private pockets without accountability or sanction.  President Goodluck Jonathan must shake off his lethargy today and order the anti-graft agencies to unravel the massive pension scam immediately.
The scale of the fraud in public sector pensions is as massive as the twists in official efforts to impose order are bizarre. Abdulrasheed Maina, Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Force Team, reckons that about N3.3 trillion has been released by the Federal Government for public sector retirees since 1976 “without accountability”. Over the years, not only has the country been treated regularly to the awful spectacle of elderly retirees collapsing and dying in the contrived pensioners’ verification queues, mind-boggling revelations of massive, systematic and brazen theft have also been making the headlines, confirming our rating as one of the world’s most corrupt nations.
Up to N45 billion was stolen at the Police pension office while 32 officials at the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation reportedly lodged between N200 and N300 million daily of stolen pension funds, eventually cornering N32.8 billion. The looting spree has spread to the Military Pension Office, Immigration and Customs and Prisons where billions of naira has been stolen, according to findings by the Senate Committee on Establishment and the PRTT. Another cartel once falsified documents to withdraw N24 billion instead of N3.5 billion approved and eventually siphoned N42 billion into two illegal bank accounts. The felons at the HOSF reportedly used accounts opened in the names of teachers, some staffers and even the account of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to bleed N18 billion of pensions of our senior citizens. According to the PRTT report, of the 141, 790 names on the HOSF pension roll, a staggering 73,000 were found to be fictitious. Maina claimed that he had also reduced monthly releases of N1.59 billion for police pensions to N500 million, saving the government the N1 billion stolen each month and another N4.25 billion that was being fleeced from the police pension pay roll.
While it is refreshing that a number of officials have since been questioned and some are undergoing trials for their roles in the grand larceny based on the PRTT reports, the waters have been further muddied by allegations that Maina himself and his aides have diverted pension funds they were sent to protect.  The counter allegations have come from officials of the police, customs, immigration, military and HOSF pension offices. The claims, having been given added weight by the Senate Committee on Establishment probing the management of pension funds, deserve immediate Presidential action. The Senate’s allegation that Maina’s team cannot account for N159 billion should not be swept under the carpet. President Jonathan, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission have enough reason to move in to untangle this putrid mess.
The new enquiry should also thoroughly investigate the allegation by Maina that the committee members requested a bribe of N2 billion from him to influence the outcome of its enquiry. Also, the counter-claim by the committee that it was indeed the PRTT chairman who offered the members a bribe to cover his tracks, including allegations that he usurped the functions of the statutory pension offices, opening accounts, disbursing funds and conducting biometric data capture, should be probed.
It is amazing that this scandal has dragged on for many months without eliciting decisive intervention by the President. Jonathan and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Finance Minister, ought to move in fast, disband the PRTT and initiate an immediate audit of pension funds. If in exasperation at Maina’s refusal to turn up at its hearing, and police refusal to arrest him as “ordered”, the Senate looks to heaven for a solution, the President need not wait for such divine intervention before mobilising the state to rescue the public pension system from thieves. The EFCC should thoroughly probe all the bribe allegations and prosecute anyone indicted.
The Military, Police and other paramilitary chiefs should be interested in the alleged fraud taking place under their watch and clean up their own outfits. The magnitude of the fraud suggests high level collusion and all those culpable should be identified and punished.
The government should use this opportunity to end the monumental fraud in public pensions and reverse our sickening reputation for corruption.
Culled: Punchng