Business

Pension Thieves: Stakeholders Want Enforcement Of 10-Year Jail Term

Published

10 years ago

April 25, 2014

Stakeholders in the labour sec
tor have called for the enforcement of the 10 years imprisonment for pension fund thieves as recommended in the new Pension Bill passed by the Senate.
In an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, some of the stakeholders said sending pension fund thieves to prison was long overdue.
The National President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Malam Bobboi Kaigama, said that pensioners in the country were always passing through a lot of hardships.
He expressed regrets that pensioners, who had served the nation for many years, had little or no resources to take care of their daily needs.
Kaigama said that the punishment could even be more biting, considering the sufferings the pensioners passed through.
“ It is only in this country that you see old men and women waiting in line for verification, yet they go home empty handed or probably fall and die on queue.
“It is only in Nigeria that you will hear cases of non-payment of entitlements, omission of pensioners’ names from payroll and under-payment of pensioners.
“You need to see the pitiful sight of some of these pensioners who daily suffer from either delay in pension payment, non-payment of arrears or gratuities.
“ So, tell me how this punishment can be equated to their pains but we still thank the Senate for the bold move,’’ Kaigama said.
Similarly, Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, the President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), expressed the hope that the new bill would turn around the administration of pension system in the country.
“It is a welcome development and l have a strong conviction that the issue of corruption in pension system will be resolved.
“I know that until a serious sanction is issued on corrupt officers in Nigeria, this country will not be where it should be.
“To us in NULGE, if the law will say more than this punishment, we are comfortable with it.
“This development is a great one and NULGE is happy because it is a right step in the right direction,’’ Khaleel said.
He appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill into law so that it could be enforced.
In his comments, Mr Sunday Alhassan, the President, National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE), said the union was happy with the decision of the Senate.
He expressed fear that the bill might not see the light of the day if the president did not sign it.
“In other parts of the world, workers usually look forward to their retirement benefits but the opposite is the case in Nigeria as workers usually dread retirement.
“‘Most cases, some civil servants usually falsify their ages to stay longer in service as life after retirement is not something to look forward to.
“Pension fund administration has been rocked with fraud and embezzlement of funds in recent times in this country, and the only thing that can save it is drastic action from to the authorities,’’ Alhassan said.
The Tide reports that the Senate on April 9 endorsed a 10-year jail for anybody convicted of stealing or misappropriating pension funds, apart from refunding three times higher the amount embezzled.
The Act also imposed a N10 million fine on any pension fund administrator who failed to meet the obligations of the contributors, while each of the directors of the firm would pay N5 million each as fines.
The Senate, after an exhaustive debate on the bill at its Committee of the Whole House, voted for its passage and urged President Jonathan to sign it as soon as possible.
However, if President Jonathan signs the bill, the Pension Reform Act 2004 is automatically repealed.

Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr Eze Onyekpere (left), with Legal Officer, Mr Kingsley Nnajiaka, at a briefing on the proposed scrapping of Fiscal Responsibility Commission in Abuja, last Wednesday.

Business

Western Marine Command Intensifies Anti-Smuggling Operations … Intercepts N8.75m Worth PMS

Published

5 hours ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Illegal PMS Trading Booms In Lagos

Published

5 hours ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Customs Board Appoints Five DCGs, Eight ACGs

Published

5 hours ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos