CBN governor, AGF to appear before Reps over N33b pension fund remittance

The Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and the
Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris are to
appear before the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The duo are to clarify alleged remittance of N33b pension
deductions to the Federal government by PenCom before the House of
Representatives ad hoc Committee investigating alleged
irregularities in National Pensions Commission (PenCom)

According to the Chairman of the Committee, Johnson Agbonayinma
said noticeable discrepancies in the pension deductions claimed to
have remitted by the Acting Director-General (DG) of PenCom, Aisha
Dahir-Umar made the appearance of the two critical to the
investigation.

While appearing before the Committee at the public hearing
yesterday, the Nigerian Union of Contributory Pensioners (NUCP)
indicted PenCom and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) of several
infringements.

In its presentation, the group regretted that the new pension
scheme has compounded, rather than alleviating problems faced by
retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

U.C. Ekpo and Emezuru Eugene signed the memorandum where PenCom
was accused of failing to review contributors’ pension every five
years as provided in Section 173 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended).

The Union also observed persistent delays in payment of
retirees’ benefits to over two years as well as lack of
standardized template and transparency in computation of lump sums
paid after retirement.

PenCom was also faulted for gender inequality in the payment of
lump sums in contravention of the Pension Reform Act.

While calling on PenCom to confine itself to its functions as a
regulator rather than meddling in the union’s activities, the Union
noted that “It appeared the essence of the new pension scheme is to
create capital for the Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) to
maximize profits and enrich themselves.

“Worse still, PenCom, which is empowered to strictly enforce the
Pension Reform Act in regulating the activities of PFAs and Pension
Custodians, has become a violator of the same Act in many ways.

“The sum total of anomalies and injustices perpetrated by PenCom
in its implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme leads to
suffering, pain and premature death of pensioners in Nigeria.”

Kidnappers of Buhari’s Prayer Warrior
Nabbed
…. ‘We fought, killed one another after releasing Sheikh’— Gang
Leader Confesses

A notorious kidnapper, Lawal Ibrahim and members of his gang who
abducted Sheikh Ahmad Sulaiman and other clerics in Katsina State
have been arrested by security operatives while trying to flee the
den.

While being interrogated by security operatives, in a video
obtained by PRNigeria, the gang leader said some members of the
terror group brutally attacked and killed one another after
releasing the popular Quranic reciter and other Islamic
clerics.

Ibrahim, a middle-aged man and another accomplice who gave his
name as Isiyah, said ten of them were involved in the abduction of
the renowned Islamic scholar who supported and offered prayers at
political rallies for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu
Buhari in the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

Ibrahim disclosed that he never met or physically saw one Alhaji
Dogo Nalade who he claimed was their ringleader but said Nalade
regularly communicate with them via phone from an undisclosed
hideout.

The notorious kidnapper said they were arrested while trying to
flee their abduction’s den to Obajana town in Kogi State, in search
of legitimate unskilled jobs after quitting their ‘heinous’ trade
of kidnapping.

He disclosed that the weapons they used for operations were
supplied by persons who asked them to use it for their ‘obnoxious
profession’ and thereafter request for commissions.

“Mallam’s release is somehow mysterious. This is because despite
our unyielding resolve to collect ransom from his people and
well-wishers, we later decided to allow him go.

“However, a violent fight broke out between members of our gang.
Two gang-members were initially killed in the forest by some of our
colleagues. Though, the two of us that were arrested luckily fled
the forest to avoid been killed, seven other kidnappers among us
were shot and killed by our aggrieved members,” he added.

Sheikh Ahmed Sulaiman and others regained freedom from
kidnappers on March 27, 2019 after spending about two weeks in the
kidnappers’ den.

The cleric and other victims were kidnapped along Sheme to
Kankara road in Katsina, on their way back to Kano State, after
attending a religious activity in Kebbi State.

By PRNigeria