Oyo govt moves to eliminate ghost pensioners

TO ensure that it has a clean pensioners’ database, the Oyo state government has begun biometric data verification for retired primary school teachers and local government workers in the State.

Among other intents, the verification exercise aims to eliminate ghost pensioners and ascertain its genuine pensioners.

State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Bimbo Kolade who flagged off the exercise at Simeon Adebo Staff Development Center, Secretariat, Ibadan, explained that the verification became expedient owing to anomalies observed in the payment of gratuity and pensions to beneficiaries.

He added that the verification exercise was designed to make the process of payment of gratuity easier as well as sift living from the dead pensioners in the state.

This is as he pointed out that the verification exercise will be extended to serving primary school teachers and local government workers.

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Kolade allayed fears that the ongoing verification exercise will stall the ongoing issuance of cheques to pensioners, noting that the exercise will rather make the process more effective.

In his remarks, Chairman, Bio-Metric Data Verification Exercise Committee, Dr Bashir Olanrewaju, said the exercise will assist the state government in paying gratuity to pensioners in due time and curb fraudulent acts in the system.

He warned ghost pensioners parading themselves as genuine pensioners to desist, noting that anyone caught indulging in such an act will be seriously dealt with.

Speaking at the event, Secretary, Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State, Mr Segun Abatan, lauded the initiative as long desired, noting that it will engender payment of pending pensions as and when due.