The Enugu State Government announced the discovery of 2,640 ghost pensioners.
The government disclosed this while announcing that it has begun disbursing pensions to local government retirees.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed that more than 7,000 eligible pensioners have received their payments after a comprehensive biometric verification process.
Onyia noted that the verification, carried out by the Local Government Pensioners Biometric Verification Committee, successfully identified and removed 2,640 individuals who were either deceased or not entitled to receive pensions.
This initiative is part of the administration’s commitment to address outstanding pensions and gratuities inherited from previous administrations, ensuring that rightful retirees receive the benefits they are owed, as stated in the announcement.
The SSG recalled that Governor Peter Mbah had previously pledged that his administration would work towards alleviating poverty in the state by settling the backlog of pensions and other financial obligations while maintaining current fiscal responsibilities to the citizens.
This approach, he said, aims to enhance the standard of living, increase purchasing power, and foster robust and sustainable economic growth within the state.
Furthermore, he mentioned that in July, a total of 7,109 local government pensioners received nearly half a billion naira in monthly payments, which included 989 newly registered retirees who had retired between April 2022 and April 2024 but had not yet been included in the pension scheme.
The SSG expressed concern regarding the extent of fraud within the pensions system, noting that data from the Local Government Pensions Board revealed that as of April 2024, the state had been disbursing payments to over 8,760 local government retirees, in contrast to the 7,109 verified pensioners.
Emphasizing the government’s dedication to resolving all pension arrears, Onyia highlighted that the payment strategy implemented by the state would ensure the systematic elimination of backlogs within the timeframe established by the government.
“This administration will continue to support our citizens, particularly our senior citizens who dedicated their time and energy to serving the state. We will soon phase out all arrears inherited by the administration.
“We are reforming the pensions system through strong institutional policies that would make it difficult for corrupt elements to find their way into the scheme. We have been able to digitalise the institution with measures that would make every transaction and payment transparent, accountable and traceable,” he added.
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