Reps Summon HoSF, AGF Over Retirees’ Pensions

House of Representatives yesterday summoned the head of service of the federation (HoSF), Folashade Yemi-Esan, acting accountant-general of the federation,  Mr Anamekwe Nwabuoku, director-general of the National Pension Commission and the executive secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) over the non-payment of pensions and gratuities to retired federal civil servants for nine months. They are to appear before the Committees on Pension and Public Service Matters and provide explanations for the non-payment.

The House mandated the Committees on Pension, Public Service Matters and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance with this resolution and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on the Need to Investigate the Non-payment of Pension Arrears of Retired Federal Civil Servants by the

Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) moved by Hon Sergius Ose Ogun.

The House said pensioners under the defined benefits scheme of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) are reportedly owed monthly pensions and gratuities for a cumulative period of nine months.

The House said it was disturbed by the claim that the failure of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to pay pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme for the said period of nine (9) months is as a result of technological glitches.

It said the failure of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to pay pensioners’ monthly pensions and gratuities based on technological glitches amounts to gross incompetence and ineffectiveness on the part of PTAD.

The House also said the claim by PTAD that the technological glitches which caused it to be in arrears of pension and gratuities is in the domain of the Accountant General of the Federation and Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) is unacceptable.

The House said Section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly.

It said it was aware that Section 14(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that the security and welfare of the people of Nigeria shall be the primary purpose of government.

The House said it was also aware that Section 32(b) of the Pension Reform Act Cap P4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 saddles the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) with the responsibility of carrying out functions aimed at ensuring the welfare of pensioners.