From: Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki

Some pensioners in Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, raised the alarm over alleged criminal activities of some staff of the state’s audit department who allegedly demanded financial gratification before their files were prepared for payment of entitlements.

The audit department was a creation if the state government to prepare files of pensioner s in the state preparatory to getting g their entitlements from the state government.

The retirees alleged that already, some of them had complied with the demands of the said members of staff of the state audit. Each retiree, according to them, paid as high as N200,000 to the staff.

Trouble, Daily Sun gathered, started when the leader of the nefarious workers (names withheld by us) demanded an increment from N200,000 to N500,000 per retiree. Some of them have already paid while some others were still making efforts to make up the money.

One of the retirees who was not pleased with the new arrangement, Mr Benedict Anyigor, told newsmen in Abakaliki that he had already paid N50,000. He alleged that his file has been withheld by the accused officials of the State Audit who he alleged have been extorting him.

“I was supposed to be paid N4,787,081. Out of this amount, government has paid me N800,000 but one of the officials in the state audit (names withheld) and his colleague who have been processing my file for payment, said I should settle them with 200,000 out of this amount for immediate payment or my file will not be sent to the Head of Service for the payment.

“I have already given them N50,000 out of the N200,000. I told them that I will pay the remaining N150, 000 after receiving full payment of the gratuity from the government which they have started paying.

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“But he increased the amount of settlement to N500,000 and insisted that I must pay him the amount before he releases my file to the Head of Service for the payment and I don’t have the amount. I retired as a Level 8 Step 15 officer at the General Hospital, Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.

Another retiree who did not want his name in print alleged that he was asked to pay N700,000 because his gratuity was relatively higher than that of others. He alleged that it was a settlement fee he must pay before his file would be processed and pushed out for immediate payment.

Recall that Governor David Umahi had released N1.5 billion for payment of gratuity and arrears of pensions of retired workers in the state and ordered the immediate payment.

But ever since the money was approved for payment, the retiree’s have been passing through difficulties accessing the money. Some of their challenges ranged from withholding of their files, extortion to delay in the payment.

When contacted in his office, the state Auditor-General, Sir Innocent Nweda, said he would launch immediate investigation into the alleged scandal. He disclosed that in 2012, about four principal members of staff of the Audit were dismissed for similar crime.

This is even as he vowed that those involved in the act would be punished in accordance with the civil service rule.

“Here, we don’t demand money before retiree’s or anybody file is processed. If anybody is demanding money from retiree’s or anybody to treat the person’s case, I will like to know the person and he will be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of civil service rules and regulations.

“We will treat the person like a criminal. In 2012, we sacked some principal officers because they did what was not expected of them as civil servants.

“So, in this case I will find out and ensure that such a person or persons are dealt with accordingly and leave the civil service. He will be treated like not even an armed robber but like somebody who doesn’t want the good of others. These types of people should know that they are civil servants and they will leave the civil service and become retiree’s. If they are treated like this, how will they feel” he said.