By Chizoba Ogbeche
Abuja
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on the federal government to name others involved in the £6 million pension funds traced to a United Kingdom bank account being managed by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
NUJ, in a press statement signed by its National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, said the union was extremely alarmed by more revelations in the media that the sum of £6 million Pension Funds had been traced to a United Kingdom bank account being managed by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
The union stated that: “Such mind boggling-revelations call for urgent and incisive measures by the federal government in order to re-assure Nigerians that the Government is serious about fighting corruption.
“We are also worried that only the name of the former Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, is being mentioned in official circles in what appears to be one of the most notorious acts of diversion of public funds in recent times.
“We wish to unambiguously say that Abdulrasheed Maina alone couldn’t have successfully undertaken such a systematic misappropriation of huge sums of pension funds. He must have been instigated, sustained and protected by powerful individuals in government and the financial sector. This must be the team work of a well-organized syndicate.”
Continuing, it stated: “We call on the Nigerian media, that has done so well in exposing corruption in the country despite all forms of threats and intimidation, not to relent until all those involved in the scam are brought to justice.
“We equally urge the federal government not to succumb to any attempt to cover up this unpardonable wrong-doing, especially now that it appears some powerful persons involved are using deception to deflect guilt.
“It is regrettable that thousands of pensioners have died without benefiting from their entitlements while millions of others are suffering unduly because a few Fat Cats have misappropriated funds meant for these retirees.”
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