Oshiomhole retires HoS, permanent secretary over pension fraud

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has announced the immediate retirement of the state Head of Service, Jerry Obazele and permanent secretary, Information and Communication Technology Agency, Dan Aigbavboa, over alleged fraud in the state pension board.

BusinessDay reports that also affected by the state government’s sledged hammer is Toju Onaiwu, director software, Edo State Information and Communication Technology Agency, who was suspended.

A statement by Peter Okhiria, the chief press secretary to the governor, said the HoS was directed to proceed on retirement while the permanent secretary in the Information and Communication Technology Agency had been retired.

The statement added that all members of the state pension’s board were directed to report to the State Civil Service Commission for proper investigation and disciplinary action in accordance with the Civil Service Rules.

He however advised all members of the pensions board to stay clear of their offices until investigations were concluded.

Oshiomhole, who however disclosed the reasons behind the retirement and suspension of the HoS, permanent secretary in the ICTA and director, noted that there was huge gap between what the HoS had told him that the state government owed and what they now generate into the state coffers to pay.

According to him, “I encouraged the HoS to give me a clear view concerning what our liabilities are in regards to accumulated pension gratuities. I was given some numbers and my task is to find the resources to provide for these numbers.

“However, in the course of trying to establish the details of what makes up these numbers, the names of the pensioners, their date of appointment, date of retirement, their salary at the point of retirement, the number of years of service, which taken together are the basis for computation of gratuity, I discovered a huge gap between what the HoS had told me we owe and what they now generate for us to pay.

“Following some interrogations, the Pensions Board along with some officers in the ICTA had generated three versions of what our pension liabilities are. The result is that I had difficulty as to which of these versions to believe.

“My intention therefore is to ensure that at least, a substantial number of people who were waiting for their gratuities got paid before my seventh year anniversary was dashed because the data which we need to effect payment had been compromised,” he said.

Oshiomhole further explained that worried by the development, the state government had to invite some seasoned external auditors to prepare afresh, look at the pension documents papers and prepare a fresh voucher to enable government address the issue of accumulated gratuity benefits.

While noting that the auditors’ intervention was revealing, he pointed out that the investigation showed that the Pensions Board has been riddled with fraud.

He said it had been established that one person had two vouchers, same bio-data and two original vouchers for a pensioner.