Reps to probe pensions administration

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, set a machinery in motion to investigate the current pension administration policy, pension identity verification exercise and payment scheme as related to pensioners.To this end, the House mandated its standing committee on pension matters to investigate these issues and report back to the House within four weeks.Specifically, the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, who presided over the session had reminded members of the importance of the motion, saying, 'it affects the well-being of senior citizens in the country who have contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria'.The House resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Honourable Ezenwa Onyewuchi entitled "need to design a humane pension verification and payment policy,'' Onyewuchi said that, 'in line with the current pension identity verification exercise, most Federal Government pensioners are required to travel from their places of residence to a single location where their records can be verified so as to receive their regular entitlements'.According to him, 'these pensioners who are mostly aged stand on the queue for hours at the verification centres, staying longer than necessary which results in some collapsing and even dying in the process or in accidents during tortuous journey to the verification exercise venues'.The lawmaker cited the sad case of one Pa Ayodele who he claimed died in Akure, Ondo State in 2011during a verification exercise.Honourable Tunde Adewusi while supporting the motion frowned at the attitude of pension verification officers, who according to him, 'don't put in enough effort to improve on the standard of the scheme.
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