Pension Liabilities in Niger Hit N10 Billion

Niger state is reported to be owing its retirees over N10 billion in unpaid pensions and gratuities.

It was gathered that N8 billion of the amount was for those that left the service between 2007 and 2016 under the Contributory Pension Scheme while N2.06 billion was for retirees under the old pension scheme.

Niger State Head of Service, Alhaji Yabagi Sule and the Director General Niger State Pension Board Alhaji Usman T. Ahmed made the disclosure in separate addresses at the open- ing of a two-day workshop for management and staff of the state pension board.

The Head of Service (HOS), who was represented by the permanent secretary Human resources Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, however said that the N8 billion was domiciled with the National Pension Commission.

The HOS described the contributory pension scheme “as very germaine in the whole pension business because it touches on the lives of retirees,” adding that the “misconception about the CPS is as a result of lack of training,” which he said the workshop was designed to arrest. He hinted that a new pension law that would ensure regular payment of pension and gratuities was in the offing but did not elaborate.

The Director General of the Pension Board Alhaji Usman Tinau Ahmed said over 1000 retirees had been paid over N1 billion while another batch of 569 retirees would be “paid any moment from now”.

In addition, the director general said “state and local government pensioners have been receiving their monthly pensions promptly because the governor has instructed that it should be a first line charge.”