The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that pensioners should undergo biometric verification exercise to sanitise pensioners’ payroll in Nigeria.
Mr. Ekpo Nta, Chairman of ICPC, wants the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to carry out biometric verification exercise for pensioners for an effective pensioners’ payroll under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
Nta said this during a recent courtesy visit to ICPC headquarters in Abuja by Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, Executive Secretary of PTAD and a team of management staff of the Directorate.
The ICPC boss promises to assist PTAD in sanitizing pensioners’ payroll and creating an accurate and credible database of pensioners. According to him, the Commission’s assistance to PTAD is one of its duties, which is to study, review systems, and give directives where necessary to block loopholes.
He further stated that the mode of operation of ICPC was not to ambush people but to work with organisations to achieve international best practices.
“As future pensioners we must all make effort to see that the pension system is credible and pensioners themselves should be wary of fake pension staff so as not to fall victim of pension scam”, according to the ICPC boss.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of PTAD said the support of ICPC was invaluable towards sanitising pensioners’ payroll and creating an accurate and credible database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
While seeking the continuous support and collaboration of ICPC to deepen the operations of the Directorate, Ikeazor thanked ICPC for its intervention especially in the verification of pensioners’ bank accounts in order to stop the duplication of payments, noting that even with their achievements so far, the agency was still “work in progress”.
“Pension payment in Nigeria has been a challenge, I hope that my tenure will make a positive impact on pensioners such that every pensioner will be able to live the remainder of their lives in dignity and good health”, she said. “My vision is an agency that serves pensioners with the utmost respect and empathy.”
ICPC was inaugurated as an Agency on the 29th of September 2000 following the recommendation of President Olusegun Obasanjo. The mandate is to receive and investigate reports of corruption and in appropriate cases prosecute the offender, to examine, review and enforce the correction of corruption prone systems and procedures of public bodies, with a view to eliminating corruption in public life.
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