The Enugu State Government recently announced a significant discovery in its pension system, uncovering 2,640 ghost names and deceased pensioners on its payroll. This revelation came to light through a verification exercise conducted by the Pension Verification Authority, as disclosed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia.
In line with Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to clear outstanding pensions and gratuities, the state has already commenced pension payments to local government retirees. Over 7,000 local government pensioners have received their pensions for August, with payments totaling approximately N500 million.
The verification exercise revealed that the state had been paying pensions to 8,760 local government retirees as of April 2024. However, only 7,109 of these pensioners were verified as legitimate, highlighting the extent of fraud within the system. This discrepancy underscores the challenges of maintaining an accurate and transparent pension system.
Professor Onyia emphasized the government’s dedication to rectifying these issues by phasing out all arrears within the established timeline. Additionally, the state is implementing reforms to prevent future fraud by digitalizing the pension system and introducing robust institutional policies. These measures aim to ensure that all transactions and payments are transparent, accountable, and traceable.
The state government remains committed to supporting its senior citizens and ensuring that those who have served Enugu State are duly compensated.
Source: PremiumTimes.
