Top Stories
Exposed! N100b road contracts scam rocks Edo
From COLLINS EKE, Benin
AN alleged
monumental fraud running into billions of naira allegedly squandered on the
Benin City road network, by Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor has sparked off a
cold war in Edo State....
'Independence Day is time to bless Nigeria...
Let's
celebrate our country’
Being a keynote address by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, President, Believers Loveworld
Inc. (a.k.a Christ Embassy) at the Grand Launch of the 2008 edition of ReachOut
Nigeria...
Presidency
starves INEC of funds
By CHUKS EHIRIM, Abuja
THE Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), still gasping for breath, amid unending
attacks from the public, surprisingly, in recent times has been suffering
.....
Nigeria
at 48: No cause for cheers - AC leader
From CHUKS EHIRIM, Abuja
AS Nigerians take stock of the dividends of 48 years of freedom from colonial
rule, while curiously awaiting the mandatory Independence Anniversary...
MIKANO
Generators
By KELECHI DECA
MIKANO Generators
is a subsidiary of Mikano International Limited, a company with 27 years experience
in the areas of Building/Civil Engineering Construction and Steel...
ReachOut Nigeria
campaign reaches climax
By AZUKA MORDI
AT the grand launch of this year's edition of the ReachOut Nigeria with Rhapsody
of Realities campaign, President of Believers Loveworld (also known as) Christ
Embassy, Pastor Chris....
NEWS
• Shake-up imminent
in ANPP
• As Third Mainland bridge
re-opens: Lagosians heave sigh of relief
• Court orders arrest of
PDP chieftain in Kaduna
• Imo deputy governor clashes
with kinsmen
• Principal,
vice escape kidnap attack
• Village
head, four others quizzed
• Group alerts of plot to
rip-off Rivers officials
• Forum cautions Ijaws on
minister for Niger Delta
• National Identity Cards
in a fix
• Group wants WAEC probed
• Nobody can stop my judicial
commission of inquiry –Jang
• Fayose commends Oni's
unity govt plan
• Shun ostentatious living,
Moslems told
• NEMA advises stake-holders
on disaster management
• I'm
okay with JTF operations –New Defence Chief
• Monarchs endorse Akpabio
for second term
• Anambra PDP Crisis:
Ubah hails Gana's committee
• Rivers to get tourism
dev. commission
• COREN goes tough on erring
members
• 22 German students take
courses in Hausa
• Varsity don raises alarm
over materialism
• Speak your mother-tongue,
Ohakim tells Nigerians
Borno
Pension Funds Scheme in a mess
From: SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
IRONICALLY, the issue of Pension Funds Administrators [PFA] in Borno State
has become a nightmare with both the government and workers crying out for
a way forward. Despite the existence of PFAs in the state, it was gathered
reliably that, the state government was yet to identify itself with any of
the existing PFAs and neither encouraged any civil servant to register with
any of the PFAs. Although it pays regularly pensions and gratuities to all
retirees including the arrears [outstanding balance] of retired civil servants
of immediate past administration of Governor Mala Kachallah, except where
one has one problem or the other with his/her retirement documents or service
documents.
But it is yet to engage the services of any of the PFAs in the state for its
large workforce by way of committing 7.5per cent contributorily to each of
the state civil servant with any of the PFAs as required and in turn for each
of the state civil servant to also contribute from his/her salary 7.5per cent
of his/her salary monthly through direct deduction of monthly pay as Pension
Funds Contribution during his/her active service years of 35 years or before
retiring at 60 years old.
Findings shown that the refusal of the state government to choose any of the
PFAs for the civil servants may not be unconnected with the fear on the side
of both the state government and workers that such a scheme may later fall
into the basket mouth of the problematic Workers Housing Funds Scheme that
has become a mirage in the eyes of Nigerian workers by being victim of circumstance
which both the government and workers experience lot of hardship and problem
in managing or having assess to the funds at retirement age.
Similarly, investigation further indicated that workers are also skeptical
about the whole ball game called Pension Funds Scheme for fear of losing their
hard earned money, 7.5per cent at the end of the end of day [retirement age]
or active service year to the PFAs just the manner the state government expresses
fear with its 7.5per cent contribution on its side to each of the state civil
servant.
However, it was further gathered that only the federal government civil servants
in the state are currently enjoying or benefiting and participating in the
present Pension Funds Administrators largesse in Borno as most of the PFAs
customers are the federal civil servants and few private organization workers
like the financial, banking and other commercial business outfits.
But the Director of Press to the Governor, Alhaji Usman Chiroma assured that
all efforts are being made by the state government to select the best and
competent PFA for the state workers. And arrangements are on top gear to engage
reliable and credible PFA for the workers as soon as all formalities are concluded
by the stakeholders as Governor Ali Sheriff as indicated clear interest to
improve the welfare of workers before the end of his second tenure to justify
the confidence reposed on him by the workers for re-electing for the second
time to governor the state credibly.
He stressed that, there is no doubt to say that, the issue of improved workers
welfare has been part and parcel of the SAS 10-point Agenda in the next 3
years of his tenure, pointing out that nothing so far will truncate the efforts
of the governor to deliver more dividend of democracy to both the people and
workers in the state which pension scheme should be an exception.
