Pensioners in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have accused the management of the agency of “fraudulently” diverting about N1.5 billion pension fund in the organisation.
The pensioners under the auspices of Airspace Management Pensioners Association of Nigeria (AMPAN), an affiliate of the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPAN) in an interview with journalists over the weekend alleged that the pension fraud dated back to 2003.
Kester Omotayo, the Chairman, AMPAN in an interview at the delegate conference by the association held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, over the weekend, purported that the pensioners were being shortchanged monthly by the management.
According to him, the short payment of the pensioners had lingered for over 10 years, maintaining that this was either due to ignorance, inefficiency, or corruption in the system.
Omotayo explained that the short payment of the pensioners started with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) returnee pensioners to NAMA in 2005, stressing that the pension increase effective from 2003 was unimplemented by the agency’s management.
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He explained that the Human Resources Department of NAMA had been duly notified of the issue, but declined to address the imbalance in the system, rather, he alleged that the department took offence and decided to delay actions on its several submissions on the issue since 2017.
Omotayo also accused the agency of operating two pension structures, perhaps to deliberately cover up or attempt to cover some sharp practices in the pension division of the Human Resources Department, stressing that efforts to look into the books of NAMA as it concerns pension were snubbed.
He added: “The pension indebtedness has accumulated to over N1 billion. We have submitted a fool-proof tabulated analysis to NAMA management for well over a year, but, as usual, there was no positive action taken. Our request for dialogue on the issue has also been rebuffed.”
However, the management of NAMA has debunked these claims, describing the allegations as completely spurious and borne out of either malice, ignorance, or both.
In a statement sent by the management of NAMA, it stated that “The agency received a correspondence from the pensioners whereby they alleged irregularities in the payment of their entitlements owing to disparity with those of other agencies in the sector.
“Consequently, the agency set up a committee (with membership comprising pensioners themselves) to investigate and come up with findings. NAMA does not and will not for any reason, operate two pension accounts. It is an impossibility, given the existing Treasury Single Account (TSA) platform in operation.
“As it stands today, the panel is still sitting and is yet to come up with its findings. NAMA is up-to-date in its obligation to pensioners as they have received their November remunerations as of 26th of November, 2020.
“NAMA is therefore startled and disenchanted to hear that some officials of the organization have decided to run to the press on a matter that is still being investigated.”
The management added that the agency runs on a transparent platform with zero tolerance for corruption, even as it is poised to protect and promote the interests of its senior citizens at all times.
