A group known as the Concerned Citizens of Nigeria which has persistently called for a probe into the alleged looting of about N2.5 billion military pension fund has frowned at the perceived silence of the National Assembly over the matter despite several petitions.
A media organisation in Nigeria, Pointblank publication, had on March 6, 2021 reported how N2.5billion was looted from the coffers of the Nigeria Military Pension board.
Though, a press statement released by the board and signed by Flt. Lt. Lawal, states in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is important to state clearly that no fund is missing and no amount of money was illegally transferred from MPB account at the CBN to anyone within or outside Nigeria, apart from qualified military retirees or their NOKs. Our operations are transparent and the records are up to date.”
But speaking with the media, the group spokesperson, Idris Suleiman noted, “We are saying that if military pension board claims that Pointblank publications which broke the news in the first place was not right in their report, we are categorically saying that we have more details with documents on how the said monies were disbursed from the central bank of Nigeria.
“We also have in our possession a classic document revealing names of a bureau de change person who got about 4.8 m dollar from the money.
“And we had requested the National Assembly to carry out a proper investigation on the names on the list and how they qualified to shearing from the money meant for the Nigeria Pension Board.”
Suleiman noted that they had expected that the National Assembly would have looked into the case with all the facts before them during the last Arms deal probe, but said the lawmakers never deemed it important enough to make it part of their agenda.
He wondered how members who were voted in by Nigerians to represent their interest at the National Assembly would not be interested in knowing how funds meant for retiree military personnel’s who had served this country diligently would go missing.
“It is totally disheartening that members of the National Assembly of Nigeria would not want to show interest on a matter that bothers on the missing funds of our retired military officers. This does not speak well of us as a Nation and it definitely shows that we are not that serious with the issue of tackling corruption in the country.
“We will not rest in our efforts in making sure that those involved in this fraud are brought to book even if it will take us to mobilize Nigerians for a major protest in Abuja to press home our demand. We would not subscribe to seeing the sweat of hardworking retirees of the Nigeria military personnel’s go down the drain,” he said.
