July 21, 2022

Anambra state house of assembly has commenced enquiries into circumstances leading to the alleged release of N500 million naira, meant for payment of arrears of pensions owed primary school teachers between 2002 and 2003.

The sum was purportedly released, but not paid to beneficiaries, some of whom are dead.

This is coming as indications emerged that the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, inherited six years arrears of gratuities owed members of the state and local council staff.

While commending Soludo for promising, in his 2022 may day speech, to liquidate the arrears of retirement benefits by installment at n300 million, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Augustine Ugozor, called for upward review in retirees’ benefits.

Ugozor, a former chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), lamented that some pensioners collect peanuts of N2,000 monthly.

The house committee on public petition, headed by the member representing Orumba north state constituency, Emeka Aforka, was scheduled to meet with representatives of NUP yesterday.

It was further learnt that some officers being probed over their involvement in the said missing fund are long dead, while some are incapacitated on account of health challenge.