The Oyo State Government says it has uncovered a N2.6 billion pension scam in its Local Government Service Pensions Board.
Chief Lasisi Ayankojo, the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, made this public on Wednesday in Ibadan.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo, in a release quoted Ayankojo as saying that 10 civil servants were involved in the scam.
Ayankojo, who is also the Chairman of the pension board, said the fraud was the high point of an interim investigative report of the commission into the account of the board between September, 2010 and March, 2011.
He said eight of the perpetrators of the fraud were presently being detained by the police while two had absconded.
Ayankojo said upon the receipt of the report of the committee, the board met Gov. Abiola Ajimobi who ordered prompt action on the scam.
He said the board discovered the fraud following complaints by retired local government workers and teachers that their pension had not been paid by government.
Ayankojo said a committee set up to investigate the complaints discovered that monies were indeed collected by civil servant intermediaries working in the commission and never remitted to the pensioners.
He said the total sum involved in the scam was collected through issuance of cheques to the affected civil servants in their own personal names rather than through e-payment into the accounts of pensioners.
“We enjoin pensioners in the state to be patient with us. What we are doing now is to protect their interests.
“ That is why we are telling the whole world what has happened that is causing delay in the payment of their pension money, ” Ayankojo was quoted as saying.