The leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled plans to President Muhammadu Buhari with the view to work out a definite plan to offset outstanding pension liabilities worth over N200 billion.
Also expected to appear before the House next week Thursday are: Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance; Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment as well as heads of relevant agencies including: Pension Transition Administration Fund (PTAD) and National Pension Commission (PenCom).
Speaker Yakubu Dogara who disclosed this in Abuja, during an interactive session with delegation from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, led by its National President, Abel Afolayan.
Dogara noted that the federal government’s fight against corruption in public service will be greatly enhanced by prompt and due payment of pensions and pension liabilities as this will reduce the temptation to divert public funds for post-retirement upkeep by public servants.
He assured the delegation that the House will ensure that it “speaks with a loud and clear voice” on the need to make this aspect a priority, while casting doubts that President Muhammadu Buhari is aware of the huge debts owed them.
“The President is a pensioner himself, he is and I know that he has always been concerned about issues related to salaries and pensions. He has been so concerned that he has extended assistance to state governments to bail them out with funds to pay for salaries and pension at state levels and I believe having taken such steps he won’t be so unconcerned about his own responsibility to pensioners of the Federal Republic.
“So I believe there is a disconnect somewhere and that is what we have to connect now and to see that even if the last person in the state gets his salary and pension, if we don’t address our pensioners at the federal level, we have failed. and that message will be delivered by God’s grace,” he assured.
While expressing concern over the plight of the pensioners, Dogara said: “so, this is where the fight against corruption begins. We will ensure that we speak for pensioners and we will ensure that we speak with a very loud voice. Perhaps Mr. President is not aware of this issue because he is a pensioner himself.
“He has assisted state governments to pay their pensioners. I believe there is a disconnect somewhere and that is where we will connect now.”
Speaking earlier, Abel Afolayan, NUP President who called for the intervention of the House by ensuring the provision of sufficient funds in the 2017 appropriation bill towards offsetting the outstanding pension liabilities both under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) and Contributory Pensions Scheme (CPS).
Speaking earlier, Afolayan said there is need to put pension on first line charge “so that pension payment will not go through the traditional rigorous budgetary allocation process.”
He said the 2017 liabilities for pensioners was “under-defined.”
Afolayan explained that while the 2017 proposals is N302.4 billion, the Executive’s submission is N109.123 billion leaving a difference of N193.282 billion.
He further states: “Regarding Contributory Pension Scheme (CBS) we have gathered the following facts and figures: a total of N91,914,899,000 was requested for in 2016 federal government appropriation bill, but the National Assembly approved N50,195,808,918 resulting in a shortfall of N41,719,090,082.
“Out of N50, 195,808, 918 appropriated for 2016 only N18,823,428,342.00 had been so far released into Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption (RBBR).”
