From Uche Usim, Abuja
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is partnering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Bureau for Public Sector Reforms (BPSR) to tighten its internal operations machinery to check pensions fraud.
The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor, stated this yesterday in Abuja when the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service visited the establishment on an oversight visit.
According to her, managing retirees’ pension funds remains a sensitive job that requires the right workers with the right attitudes.
“We’re working hand-in-hand with BPSR so that we put proper checks and balances in place and how to manage a government agency. The people working here have to know that there has to be some confidentiality because what we do here is very sensitive. So, every staff member will have to go through that process so that we get the right people in place. Information could still come from within. That’s why we partnered with ICPC and EFCC. ICPC cannot prosecute but EFCC can,” she said.
Ikeazor also revealed that PTAD in 2014 commenced a nationwide verification of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme towards creating a credible, authentic and digitalised database for pensioners
“So far, PTAD has completed the verification of the police, customs, immigrations and prisons pensioners. We’ve also worked with the banks to weed out dead pensioners. ICPC has also helped in this regard. We discovered about 6,000 questionable accounts,” she stated.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, who led his members to PTAD, directed the management to furnish it with details of pensioners who had been paid and those yet to be paid till date.
“Go ahead to furnish us account details of those paid and those that are yet to be paid in this fiscal year. We are here primarily for our oversight because it is our constitutional right to go round ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to properly assist the executive to succeed. Any person saddled with the responsibility of salvaging the lives of pensioners have an onerous task. Look at pensioners, you’ll pity them. If you’re to help their cause, do all to be in right direction,” he stated.
Budget: Budget 2017: Blame National Assembly for failure to meet October target – Udoma
From Basil Obasi, Abuja
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, has hinged the inability of the ministry to send the 2017 budget to the National Assembly last month on the failure of the lawmakers to conclude deliberations of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF 2017-2019) and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
The minister, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. James Akpandem, stated that the suspension of debate on the MTEF/FSP, which lays the foundation for the budget has stalled the ministry’s plan to transmit the 2017 budget to the National Assembly.
Udoma explained that already ministries, departments and agencies of government had concluded presentation and defense of their budget proposals, indicating that the draft copy of the budget had been compiled.
He noted that preliminary review suggests that the thrust of the 2017-2019 MTEF and FSP, which is to reflate the economy out of recession and to sustainable an inclusive growth path, was being articulated in the 2016-2019 Medium-Term Development Plan.
“With the 2017-2019 MTEFF, the government intends to intensify efforts in pursuing manpower-driven economy and to help the country out of the current recession,” he said.
TECH: Minister laments poor release of budgetary allocation
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has lamented poor release of budgetary allocation to the ministry and agencies under its supervision.
The minister disclosed to the members of House Committee on Science and Technology, who visited the ministry on oversight yesterday, that they have merely received about 13 per cent allocation for capital projects.
Onu, who insisted that no nation could grow without effective deployment of science and technology called for proper funding of the sector.
“For this year, capital release to this ministry is 576 million, which represents about 12 per cent and there are some ministries that have received up to 60 per cent of their capital allocation. For all the agencies put together, I don’t think it is above 12-13 per cent. We are working under difficult situation, we are working to succeed and we are going to succeed by the grace of God because these are facts we can’t change,” he stated.
Committee Chairman, Beni Lar, agreed that most of the agencies were still facing severe challenges, but blamed the Budget Office for frustrating attempts to encourage commercialisation of the research findings by the agencies.
Lar said: “What we heard was that releases to these agencies have been very poor and this is hampering these agencies from achieving their set goals and what is expected from them.
FCT: FCT task force raids beggars’ hideout
From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the Ministerial Task Force on Environment have raided a hideout of suspected beggars and scavengers in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, where dangerous weapons, including knives, daggers and cutlasses, were recovered.
AEPB Director, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Omolola Olanipekun, who made this disclosure Tuesday, said a combined team of the AEPB and the Task Team on Environment on routine operation carried out the raid.
Olanipekun said those arrested during the operation have been handed over to the police for investigation and further action.
She restated that begging and scavenging activities in the Federal Capital City remained prohibited and, therefore, warned that defaulters would be prosecuted as usual, at the Sanitation Mobile Court, if arrested.
The director reiterated that there had been cases of stolen manhole covers and scavengers have been the prime suspects of this crime, which necessitated the FCT Administration to ban their activities in the city.
Olanipekun emphasised that the AEPB, the Ministerial Task Team and other security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory would soon commence full enforcement and prosecution.