The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Pension scam

  • N5.6b pension ‘scam’: Ex-Oyo Head of Service, 11 others for trial

    N5.6b pension ‘scam’: Ex-Oyo Head of Service, 11 others for trial

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it will, tomorrow, arraign a former Oyo State Head of Service (HOS), Mrs Kudirat Iyabo Adeleke, and 11 others at the State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, for alleged N5.6 billion scam.

    The other suspects are: Muili Hakeem Aderemi, a former executive secretary of the Oyo State Pension Board; Adedutan Johnson, Oguntayo Banji, a former internal auditor of the board and Kareem Rasheed.

    The others are: Muili Adedamola, Adesina Jimoh Ayoade, a former cashier with the board; Adebiyi Olasumbo Musendia, a former administrative officer; Johnson Bosede, Iyabo Giwa, a former cashier, Adewale Kehinde and Olujinmi Adebayo.

    The suspects are to face charges of conspiracy, stealing and criminal breach of trust.

    According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects allegedly stole the N5.6 billion meant for the pensioners and retired teachers in the state.

    The pension offices in the 33 councils were affected by the scam.

    The statement said: “The Oyo State Local Government Pension Board reportedly received over N4,140,020,501.72 billion from the Federation Account and the state government between September 2010 and February 2011.

    “Of this amount, a cash withdrawal of N1.711, 894, 667.05 was fraudulently made by the suspects. Items recovered from the suspects include buildings, poultry farms, power generating sets and undeveloped plots.”

    Chairman of the Local Government Pension Board, who is also head of the Local Government Service Commission Chief Lasisi Ayanjoko said interim investigation on the account of the board between September 2010 and March 2011 exposed the alleged fraud.

    He said: “Upon receipt of the report of the account, the board met Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who ordered that the board should get to the root of the scam immediately.

    “The board discovered this fraud after complaints by local government workers and retirees, who claimed that the government had not paid their pensions.

    “When we received the complaints, we set up a committee. But in the process, we discovered that funds were collected by civil servants’ intermediaries in the commission and never remitted to the pensioners.”

  • Again, pension scam

    Again, pension scam

    THE regularity of scams in the pension sector in the country is turning epidemic. Hardly does a week pass without the federal authorities galling us with tales of unbelievable criminality against one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the society – the elderly and mostly infirm members. Last week, it was reported that the Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Service, Alhaji Goni Aji, has closed 36 bank accounts used to pay pensions, following discoveries that they were used to siphon the pensions meant for genuine pensioners.

    Despite this stomach churning criminality, the attitude of federal agencies in bringing the culprits to justice is, at best, lackadaisical. For, if government officials can claim to be helpless that ghosts have taken missing funds; we ask whether ghosts can also open bank accounts, to cash illegitimate pension funds? In the report on the scam in one of the national dailies, it was alleged that before the dissolution of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Force, 32 persons and corporate organisations had over 140 indictments against them. Again, it was claimed that over 13, 874 cheque leaflets were used by pension criminals to siphon billions of the funds meant for pensioners. The reports talked of how 30 cheques were drawn in a day, while over N250 million was being withdrawn weekly by pension officials.

    Despite this alleged criminality in the federal pensions, the attempt to bring the culpable officials to justice has, at best, been laughable. The recent report is one such bizarre reaction of the federal authorities to serious crimes. For, we are not aware that law enforcement officers have been to the banks responsible for the alleged scams to ask for documents that could give clues to the beneficiaries of the stolen funds. There has also been no report that those officials of the pension agencies allegedly making the illegal withdrawals have been brought in for questioning by the police. The impression from the reaction of the government officials is that the closure of accounts and harmonisation of the banks for pension payment to only four banks is enough action by the authorities.

    We think it a tragedy that a wicked younger generation is mismanaging the life-saving entitlements of an older generation. What is even more disheartening is that each time a new set of persons is asked to stem the rot, and effect necessary changes; it appears they turn out worse than those they have been asked to scrutinise. As we write, nobody is sure what has become of the accusations and counter-accusations over bare-knuckle criminality made by the legislature against the former chairman of the Pension Task force, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina and his team. While the man has allegedly gone underground following the order that he should be arrested, he nevertheless let out even a sourer tale of collusion, by high officials of government as the reasons for his being witch-hunted.

    While all these are going on, the elderly Nigerians whose lives are dependent on the stipends that their pensions have become, in the face of inflation, are left very vulnerable. To show that our federal authorities are at least conniving to perpetuate the sufferings of the senior citizens, they continuously engage in one bogus reform after another. Indeed, as if those responsible for the welfare of the pensioners are not human beings themselves, they keep asking the old men and women to go for unending documentations. Yet, despite the several reforms and the wasted resources, the stealing of the pensions of our senior citizens appears a hot spot for pension criminals.

  • Ex-director, 14 others re-arraigned over pension scam

    Ex-director, 14 others re-arraigned over pension scam

    Former Director, Pension Accounts Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi Shaibu, three of his alleged accomplices and 11 companies have been re-arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    They were charged with alleged involvement in the multi-billion naira fraud in the Pension Office.

    Charged with Teidi Shaibu are – Omoefe Eric Uduesegbe, abdullahi Omezie, Gozinda Enterprises, Bashinta Nigeria Limited, Haleath Enterprises, Uthatak Nigeria Limited, Krasiva Nigeria Limited and Badawulu Ventures Limited.

    Bunu Attah Investment, Muha Millennium Motors Limited, Ribaile Petroleum Limited, Fafama Estate Developers and Fafama Oil and Gas Limited were also arraigned for the same offence.

    They were arraigned on two separate charges. Shaibu and Uduesegbe were arraigned with nine companies on one charge while Bello, Omezie and two companies were arraigned on a separate charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/83/13.

    Shaibu, Uduesegbe and the nine companies are accused of stealing funds belonging to the Pension Office while Bello and Omezie were alleged to have unlawfully kept fund purportedly stolen from the Pension Office by Shaibu. They allegedly committed the offence between 2009 and 2010.

    On Tuesday, the accused persons’ bail applications were argued, with their lawyers urging the court to admit them to bail on the same conditions earlier set by Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court before whom they were first arraigned.

    Although the prosecution lawyer, E. C. Egbuagwu, did not object the accused persons’ bail application, he equally urged the court to adopt the bail conditions set by Justice Bello.

    At a point, the prosecution lawyer recommended to the court the ruling by Justice Bello granting the accused bail, a development that angered the judge.

    Justice Ademola wondered why the prosecution lawyer was “crying more than the bereaved.”

    The judge wondered why the prosecution lawyer did not only stop at telling the court that he was not opposing the bail application, but went beyond that to make case for the accused persons.

    “This is the first time I am seeing a prosecution lawyer urging the court to grant bail to an accused person,” Justice Ademola said.

    He adjourned to July 1 for ruling on the accused persons’ bail applications.

     

     

     

  • Pension scam: Ex-minister’s request stalls suspects’ trial

    Plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to open trial in the case involving seven officials of the Police Pension Office was stalled on Monday.

    The planned commencement of trial was stalled by a request by former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN) for time to study the case file.

    Agabi, a defence lawyer in the case, told an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Hussain Baba that he was recently briefed.

    He prayed the court to be allowed time to familiarize himself with the case to enable him prepare his client’s defence.

    Lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacob (SAN), though indicated his readiness to proceed with the trial, later conceded to an adjournment as sought by Agabi.

    He noted that Agabi’s request was in line with the constitutional provision that an accused person was entitled to proper representation in line with the constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing.

    Jacob regretted that the accused person waited until just recently to brief a new lawyer rather than utilize the long period between the last date and Monday.

    He promised to resist antics meant to truncate the trial, noting that the nation eagerly awaits the speedy determination of the case.

    Other defence lawyers in the case also agreed to an adjournment.

    The accused persons are – Essai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Cyril Attange, Mrs. Veronica Uloma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira and Christian Madubuike.

    They were earlier arraigned with the convicted pension chief, John Yakubu Yususfu, before the now suspended Justice Mohammed Talba of the Abuja High Court.

    Upon Yakubu’s conviction on a negotiated charge, the other suspect were re-arraigned before Justice Baba on an amended 20-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and conspiracy in relation to the alleged theft of N39.8 billion belonging to the Police Pension Office.

     

  • Court grants perpetual injunction against Maina’s arrest

    Court grants perpetual injunction against Maina’s arrest

    The embattled Chairman of the disbanded Pension Reform Task Force, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, scored a big victory against the Senate on Wednesday as a Federal High Court granted a perpetual injunction restraining his arrest.

    The court also set aside an earlier warrant of arrest issued on him.

    According to Justice Adamu Bello, who delivered the judgment in the enforcement of Fundamental Human Right suit instituted by Maina, the verdict is pegged on the ground that the Senate did not follow due process in issuing the warrant of arrest.

    He also noted that the Senate failed to annex all necessary documents to aid the dismissal of Maina’s request before the court.

    However, Bello cautioned against misreading his judgment as an affirmation that the Senate lacks the powers to investigate or summon any person to give evidence regarding any subject matter under investigation.

    He stated that the injunction only has to do with the warrant of arrest being set aside.

    In the suit, Maina dragged the Senate, Senate President, and the Clerk of the Senate, before the court.

    Joined in the suit are the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, the Inspector General of Police, Sen. Alloysius Etuk, Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, Chairman, Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration.

    He asked the court to quash the purported report of the Senate committee’s resolutions and declare the warrant issued for his arrest as unconstitutional, null and void.

  • Pension convict Yusuf granted bail

    Pension convict Yusuf granted bail

    Reprieve came the way of the pension convict, Mr. John Yakubu Yusuf, on Monday.

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, granted him N10 million bail with one surety in like sum, who must not be below the rank of a director in the civil service.

    The surety who must be a resident in Abuja must show evidence of landed property with the title document submitted to the Chief Registrar of the court for authentication.

    The court also ordered Yusuf to deposit his international passport and that he cannot travel without the permission of the court.

    Ruling on the bail application, Justice Bello said, “I have carefully considered the application with due regards to the affidavit evidence.

    “It is clear that parties agreed in granting bail, the court must exercise its discretion judicially and judiciously.”

    Observing that the prosecution highlighted that Yusuf had been convicted of a similar crime by an Abuja High Court, the Judge said the two cases were different.

    According to him, the accused is presumed innocent in the present case since he pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Justice Bello said he earlier remanded the accused in prison because of the uproar that greeted his earlier conviction and to keep him from the public glare for his safety.

    “Considering that investigation had been concluded and trial commenced in this case, I have decided to exercise discretion in his favour”, the Judge said before adjourning till April 22 for trial.

  • Reps back Senate on Maina’s sack

    Reps back Senate on Maina’s sack

    he House of Representatives yesterday backed the Senate in its call for the sack of the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Abdulrasheed Maina.

    The House ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to appear before the Committee on Police Affairs to give reasons why he did not act on the warrant issued by the Senate.

    The lawmakers defied picketing by over a thousand sacked National Identity Card Management Commission ( NIMC) to attend plenary yesterday.

    The Senate on February 13 passed resolutions requesting that Maina be dismissed from the public service and that he should be disengaged from the acts relating to the public.

    The posture of the House yesterday was surprisingly at variance with an earlier position of its Committee on Pension, headed by Ibrahim Bawa Kamba, which at the onset of the face-off between the Senate and Maina flayed the Senate report and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to give Maina more protection to carry out the pension reforms in MDAs and parastatals.

    The resolution of the House yesterday was sequel to the adoption of the prayer of a motion moved under Matters of Urgent National Importance, by the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Albert Sam-Tsokwa.

    Tsokwa, while presenting the motion, said it sought the concurrence with the earlier resolution of the Senate, which sought the dismissal of Maina.

    “Maina has been having a running battle with the Senate on the issue of pension. The committee had summoned Maina to appear several times, but he refused,” the lawmaker said, adding that there is need to present a united front to uphold the integrity of the parliament.

    “It is a constitutional responsibility that the resolutions that should carry the weigt of the law should be agreed to by the two chambers,” he added.

    According to him, the step taken by the House would send a strong signal to the executive arm of the government to stop impunity and disregard for due process in the conduct of government business.

    The Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN-Lagos), while supporting the motion, noted that the House was not transgressing on the powers of the executive by requesting the sack of Maina, but asking it to act.

    “A constitution that has no efficacy is no law. It’s a useless provision. There are provisions here that give us the power to recommend as in Section 5 of the constitution,” he said.

    Another member, Abike Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos), said there was no need to beg the executive to do its job and that the joint resolution should send a message to those allegedly protecting Maina.

    “It’s only in this country that such things can happen. Even if he’s not guilty, he must show up to answer the allegations against him. The resolution has the force of law and must we beg the executive to do its job? If Maina is not found, the Head of Service must lose his job.”

    A lawmaker, Bitrus Kaze, expressed surprise that “it has to take a resolution of the National Assembly for a person to be disciplined and the executive arm has no interest in doing such. It shows the National Assembly can’t bite.”

    Samson Osagie (ACN-Edo) alleged that the executive arm of government had continued to ignore the resolutions of the National Assembly even when the workers of the affected organisations had protested against their management

    Other members like Forte Dike (PDP- Anambra) and Aminu Suleiman (PDP-Kano) agreed that the legislature was constitutionally empowered to do what it was doing concerning Maina since he was being protected and shielded from arrest by people in high places.

  • Pension scam: No hiding place for Maina – Senate

    Pension scam: No hiding place for Maina – Senate

    The Senate on Monday vowed to ensure that the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina faces justice no matter how long it takes.

    The Senate also could not say whether the 2013 Appropriation Bill it passed on December 20, 2012, has been forwarded to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe stated this at a press conference in Abuja.

    On the 2013 budget, Abaribe said the fiscal estimate may still be undergoing “mechanical and bureaucratic processes.”

    Asked whether the 2013 Appropriation Bill has been sent to the presidency for assent, Abaribe said: “The Senate has passed the 2013 budget, any other thing that is going on now is the normal course of the bureaucracy involved and I don’t think that there would be any problem with that.

    “The important thing to note is that the 2013 budget was passed on December 20, 2012 by a concurrence of both Houses and the passage also by both Houses of the National Assembly and that officially is the passage of the budget by the parliament.

    “I will have to assume that such has been done because after you have passed the budget, what is left is simply mechanical. You get a clean copy and then, you send it. I am assuming that it must have been passed.”

    The Senate spokesman said the decision to invite the IGP over Maina was a collective decision of the Senate and not that of the joint committee probing the administration of pension funds in the country.

    He warned that the Senate should not be seen as “helpless” in tackling the refusal of Maina to appear before its joint committee despite several summons and an arrest warrant.

    Abaribe said: “It is necessary for Nigerians to know that a committee of the National Assembly in either House is a representative of that House.

    “That means that if a committee of the Senate is operating or summoning anybody, it is not just that committee, it is the whole Senate.

    “That means that whatever sanctions that are going to come are not just from that committee but the whole Senate.”

     

  • Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application

    Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application

    An Abuja High Court has again adjourned to November 6, for ruling on an application to quash criminal charges in the N32.8 billion Police Pension Fund scam against three of the six accused persons.

    It will be recalled that Justice Abubakar Talba had on July 17, fixed October 9, for ruling on the motion filed by Atiku Kigo (a former Permanent Secretary), Mrs. Veronica Onyegbula (Cashier) and Sani Zira (ICT Officer).

    The trio, who are charged along with Esai Dangabar (Director), Ahmed Wada (Director) and John Yusufu (Assistant Director), are members of staff of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, currently on suspension.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

    The EFCC said the alleged fraud was perpetuated between January 2009 and June 2011.

    On arrival in the court on that day, its Clerk, Malam Garba Isa, informed the counsel to the accused, Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN) and that of the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) that the ruling was not ready.

    Isa said the judge had asked the counsel in the case to pick another date for the ruling.

    They had then, picked Tuesday October 16.

    But on arrival in court on Tuesday, after waiting for three hours, again the court clerk told Tarfa and Jacobs to pick another date.

    No reason was, however, given for the judge’s absence in court.

  • Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application October 16

    Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application October 16

    An Abuja High Court has further adjourned to October 16 ruling on an application to quash the criminal charges in the N32.8 billion Police Pension Fund scam against three of the six accused persons.

    Justice Abubakar Talba had on July 17, fixed October 9 for ruling on the motion filed by Atiku Kigo (a former permanent secretary), Mrs. Veronica Onyegbula (cashier) and Sani Zira (ICT officer).

    The trio, who are charged along with Esai Dangabar (director), Ahmed Wada (director) and John Yusufu (assistant director), are members of staff of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, currently on suspension.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

    The EFCC said the alleged fraud was perpetrated between January 2009 and June 2011.

    On arrival in the court, its clerk, Malam Garba Isa informed the counsel to the accused, Mr. Ricky Tarfa and that of the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs that the ruling was not ready.

    He said the judge had asked the counsels in the case to pick another date for the ruling.

    NAN recalls that the three accused persons want the court to quash the charges on the grounds that the EFCC has no evidence against them.

    They insisted that there was no nexus linking them to the commission of the alleged offence.

    Particularly, Onyegbula insists in her application that the EFCC could not prove to the court that she signed any document from the pension office, to collect the said money.

    She also argued that she was just “an errand girl” and that since she was not in position of authority at the pension office, she could not have influenced any decision on the sharing of any money.