Enugu uncovers 2,640 ghosts, deceased pensioners on payroll

The Enugu State Government said it has commenced payment of pensions to local government retirees in the state, even as it uncovered 2,640 ghost and deceased pensioners on the payroll.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chidiebere Onyia, stated that the payment was in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s promise to clear outstanding pensions and gratuities inherited from the previous administration.

He said that over 7,000 local government pensioners had received payments following the governor’s approval of the recommendations from the Local Government Pensioners Biometric Verification Committee, which conducted the verification exercise.

He added that a total of 7,109 local government pensioners received monthly payments close to half a billion naira in July, including 989 newly captured entrants who retired between April 2022 and April 2024 but were not previously accommodated in the pension scheme.

Onyia, who expressed dismay at the level of fraud in the pension system, said records provided by the Local Government Pensions Board indicated that the state had been paying over 8,760 local government retirees as of April 2024, compared to the 7,109 verified pensioners.

Restating the state’s commitment to clear all arrears, he noted that the payment mode adopted by the state would ensure that backlogs were phased out within the timeline set by the government.

“This administration will continue to support our citizens, particularly our senior citizens who dedicated their time and energy serving the state. We will soon phase out all arrears inherited by the administration.

“We are reforming the pension system through strong institutional policies that would make it difficult for corrupt elements to infiltrate the scheme. We have been able to digitize the institution with measures that will make every transaction and payment transparent, accountable, and traceable,” he added.