National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Enugu State Government has discovered 2,640 ghost and deceased pensioners during a recent pension verification exercise.
On August 25, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), announced that the government has started processing pension payments for local government retirees.
He expressed dismay at the level of fraud uncovered, revealing that as of April 2024, records showed payments were being made to 8,760 local government retirees, despite only 7,109 being verified.
This move aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to settle outstanding pensions and gratuities.
Over 7,000 local government pensioners have already received payments following the governor’s approval of recommendations from the Local Government Pensioners Biometric Verification Committee.
Prof. Onyia highlighted that in July, 7,109 pensioners received nearly half a billion naira in monthly payments, including 989 newly verified retirees from April 2022 to April 2024.
The SSG reaffirmed the state’s dedication to clearing all arrears, noting that the new payment system will ensure backlogs are eliminated as planned.
He also emphasised ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the pensions system.
