Nigeria Content Online

The House of
Representatives Committee on Pension yesterday asked the Office of the
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to commence the payment of
N69 billion outstanding pension arrears to federal government
pensioners.

The committee
chairman, Razaq Adewusi, who stated this during a visit to the office
of the Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, said the National Assembly had
provided for N42 billion in the 2010 Budget following ceaseless
complaints by the pensioners.

Mr Adewusi
explained that the committee made the visit because a lot of issues
were raised by the pensioners over non-payment of pension and gratuity.

“We mandated them
to ensure the payment of the outstanding arrears to the affected
pensioners,” he told journalists after the visit.

The lawmaker said
he and other members of the committee who accompanied him on the visit
monitored the verification exercise of the pensioners and noted that
there will still be complaints after the the biometric system was
applied.

“The system would
enable us to know who and who to pay; the exercise would enable pension
managers know the data base and as they are doing this they would be
collecting their cheques on the spot.

“This was what led
to the delay and now that the biometric system has commenced, the
affected pensioners would be paid on the spot,” he said.

Unhappy lawmakers

Mr Adewusi
regretted that pensioners still complain of non-payment of pensions and
gratuities, adding that the committee members were not happy when
pensioners came to the National Assembly to protest.

Mr Steve explained that since he assumed office, he made it a priority that pensioners get their dues promptly.

He stated further that there is enough money to pay pensioners and
what has delayed the payment had been the verification which he said
has been concluded.