Reps ad hoc committee to probe presidential task force over multi-billion pension fund

The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to set up an Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate the activities of the Presidential Task Force from 2010 to the time of its dissolution and those of any successor Agency to unravel the whereabouts of billions of naira recovered by the Task Force.

The committee was asked to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.

The House resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Ali Isa entitled, “Call to investigate the current situation of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.”

The lawmaker maintained that, the Presidential Task Force on Pensions Reform was created in June 2010 with the main objective of tracking and recovering pensions of all public service retirees.

To this end, he raised concern that instead of the Task Force discharging its mandate, it became embroiled in widespread allegations of looting of pension funds and has been unable to account for more than N200 billion as a result of which the Task Force was dissolved in February, 2013.

In addition, he said that, the Task Force took charge of the Police and the Head of Service Pension Funds and that more than N180 Billion was alleged to have been recovered from various banks and also that more than 75,000 ghost pensioners were paid while genuine pensioners were left unattended to.

To this end, he said that since the dissolution of the Task Force, the public had not been informed of what became of the billions of Naira recovered by the Task Force.

The motion scaled through when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.