The Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), has urged President Muhammadu
Buhari, to order an immediate investigation into alleged sundry fraudulent
practices in the National Pensions Commission, (PENCOM).
The group specifically alleged that about N42billion collected by PENCOM
in 2012 cannot be accounted for by the Director General, Mrs. Chinelo
Anohu-Amazu.
In a petition addressed to the president and signed by the Executive
Director of the Centre, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, CPA said the petition is
intended to bring to the attention of the president the long list of
infractions, mismanagement and maladministration that is ongoing at the
commission under the leadership of Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.
A copy of CPA’s petition which was made available to newsmen, read: “Mr.
President, as you may be aware, the Pension Reform Act was enacted in 2004
for sustainable management of retirement benefits of citizens who worked
within the public or private sectors of the federation. As at today, the
accumulated pension assets stand at about N5.4 trillion. From that period
to date, we want to assert that the commission has never been in the worst
state than it is today.
“We affirm that the commission is bedeviled with multiple infractions,
violations of the law and widespread corruption that warrant immediate and
urgent attention of Mr. President.”
Raising its first issue on the annual collection, the Centre alleged that
the Commission is mismanaging the 0.3 per cent annual fees on pension
assets, thereby calling for a thorough investigation into it.
“The commission collects annually, 0.3 per cent on the total pension
assets which presently stands at N5.4 trillion. Annually the commission
collects about N15billion as fees which it spends without any
accountability.
“We challenge the commission to publish how it has expended that annual
fund which is regarded as slush fund by insiders. As at December 2015, the
current Director General of PENCOM has collected N42 billion which she
cannot account for till date.
“We specifically call on the President to order an immediate investigation
into how the N42 billion fees collected by the commission was expended
from 2012 to date.
Similarly, the Center alleged that the Commission’s DG is involved in
illegal application of regulatory powers, stating that there are obvious
cases of harassment and selfish tendencies in the leadership of the
commission.
“In addition to not implementing statutory provision as above, records
showed that the commission under the current Director General has deployed
regulatory powers of the commission for selfish, illegal and family usage.
Pension administrators and custodians are harassed and subjected to unholy
surcharges including share takeover among others.
Currently, the families of commission Director Generals are the owners of
Premium Pension. May we also inform you, that the commission also took
over First Guarantee Pension under flimsy excuses and has refused to obey
court orders directing a return of the firm to the owners. For more than
five years, the commission held on to the firm and is scheming to sell it
to interest known to be close to its Director General.”
While describing the annual World Pension being hosted by PENCOM as a
wasteful expenditure, the Centre said the country is set to waste almost a
million naira for a jamboree like event at a time the country is in
recession.
“Annually, the commission plays host to the World Pension Summit, a body
owned by two brothers from the United States. The commission forced
pension administrators and custodians to pay participation fees while the
commission itself spends almost a billion naira annually to host the
annual event. The 2016 edition of that event is scheduled to hold by
September 27 to 28 in Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
“In this era of recession, this is not just wasteful but corruption laden
and out of tune with the spirit of the era. We call on President Muhammadu
Buhari to direct the Director General to stop the summit forthwith as
Nigeria and pensioners can ill afford such wasteful and extravagant event
meant to enrich a family alleged to be working on behalf of the commission
management.”
CPA also highlighted the non-implementation of transfer window by the
Commission, stating that, “Nigerians deserve to know why depositors are
not allowed to migrate if they so wish. We want to know why billions are
spent without such migration being realized.”
Urging the president to urgently beam a searchlight on the activities of
the commission, the CPA said, “that sector needs urgent clean up if the
world, pensioners and workers are to take the administration seriously.
Among other requests to the president, the Center said, “We also call for
an immediate investigation into the activities of PENCOM, under its
present leadership, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
and the Independent Corruption Practices and other related offences
related Commission, ICPC.”