By Aideloje Ojo Minna
Niger state government has instituted a probe panel headed by the state Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ketso, to recover over N5.77 billion stolen from pension administration between 2007 and 2015, following a forensic audit that established that the fund was missing. The deputy Governor stated this yesterday in Minna while declaring open a threeday workshop on effective pension management and administration in the state.
He said: “At this juncture, it is important for me to comment on the alleged missing N6.2 billion of the 7.5% employer/employee deductions made on behalf of Niger state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and local government councils in the state during the period of 2007 and March 2015.
Government has carried out a forensic audit of the transactions f the contributory pension scheme in the state during the period under review and has established that the sum of N5.77 billion was clearly verified as funds not remitted to the pension board.”
He assured workers in the state that his committee “will ensure that all monies deducted as employer/ employee contributions into the new pension scheme from 2007 to date” would be accounted for by those concerned. The acting governor said government had placed pension payment on first line charges from statutory allocations to ensure prompt payment of pensioners. In a welcome address, the Director-General of the state Pension Board, Usman Mohammed, said the state did not owe any retirees, adding that all pension arrears had been paid.
He said thanked the state government for paying deserved attention to pension issues in the state and ensuring that pensioners “do not face any hardship in getting their pensions every
