Jigawa Pension Board Cleared Of embezzlement Charge

Alhaji Mustapha Aminu, the chairman of Jigawa State’s Committee on Review of the State and Local Government Contributory Pension Scheme, has refuted allegations that officials of the previous administration embezzled funds from the scheme.

Aminu made the remarks while presenting the committee’s report to Governor Malam Umar Namadi at Government House, Dutse.

Recall that  Governor Umar Namadi had constituted a committee of experts to investigate the scheme’s financial viability.

According to him: “Unlike the report going round that the officials of the previous administration tempered with the scheme funds, it was employment gap over the years that has seriously paralysed the Jigawa State and local contributory pension scheme.”

He noted that every year, civil servants retire and some die, but there has been no hiring of new staff to replace them for many years.

“Also lack of deduction at the source due to the law put in place by the Intelligence Committee on salary also contributed to crippling the system,” he said.

According to further findings, it was  revealed that some retired civil servants who have retired from service in state government, local government, and local government authority for over eight months are yet to receive their benefits.

They are blaming the previous administration for the alleged tempering of the scheme funds.