PenCom: House Of Reps Stops Probe, Says It was Misinformed

An Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives set up to probe the activities of the National Pension Commission, PenCom, has called off the probe, citing new information made available to it.

The House had on Thursday November 29, 2018, resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the activities of PenCOM from April 2017 till date.

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The resolution was premised on alleged irregularities in the activities of the Commission which included operating without a Board 19 months after the Federal Government announced the names of nominees, and that the current Acting Director General, Aisha Dahir-Umar, had unilaterally and illegally increased her terminal benefits and those of other senior staff of the Commission by 300% and also increased the number of General Managers from 1 0 to 1 7.

But in a supplementary order paper of the House on December 20, the ad-hoc committee said it had rescinded its decision to probe PenCom because of information provided to it.

The committee noted that the resolution for probe was based on incomplete information about the activities of PenCom and therefore stated its decision not to proceed with the investigation.

The committee stated: “Aware that there are emerging facts that were not available to this Honourable House as at the time the resolution was passed to wit:

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“that it is not correct that the President never sent request to the Senate for confirmation of the new Board. Rather, a request for confirmation was sent to the Senate and on the 18th of August 2018, the nominees of the Board were directed to resume in acting capacity pending their confirmation but the Senate not only had not confirmed the nominees but had also gone ahead to, on 19 of August, direct that the nominees of the Board not to resume office before confirmation,

“that the Transitional Management of PenCom continued to superintend the affairs of the Commission pending the Senate confirmation and resumption of the new Board,

“that contrary to allegation of creation of more Directorates and increase of Directors from 10 to 17, the real position was a normal promotion exercise for career staff of the Commission which was one of the outcomes of the Commission Annual Staff Performance Appraisal Exercise,

“that since the inception of the transitional Management in April 2017, the Commission has not undertaken any staff recruitment.”

The committee stated further that it was “Disturbed that having regard to these emerging facts, highlighted herein, the resolution, if not reversed will create serious confusion that will undermine the sanctity and integrity of the Commission thereby heating up the polity.”

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Therefore, citing Order Nine Rule 1 (6) of the Standing Orders of the House, the committee announced its resolve to discontinue the probe.

Some faceless individuals and groups believed to be on the receiving end of new reforms in the pension industry have embarked on a campaign of calumny against the management of PenCom. It is also believed that it is these group of persons who wrote petitions to lawmakers which brought about the resolution for probe.

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