Why Our DG Was Absent During Reps Committee Meeting On 2023-2025 MTEF

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has explained why it’s Director -General, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, was absent during the presentation of the 2023-2025
Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the House of Representatives Committee on Finance.

The Committee had invited the Commission to appear before it to defend its 2021/2022 Budget and present the 2023-2025
Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP)

But the DG was not present at the presentation, a development that made the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon Saidu
Abdullahi, to frown at her absence.

Reacting to the development, PenCom said in a statement issued on Saturday that the DG’s absence was because she was out of town
attending an official engagement.

However, the statement said the DG was represented at the session by the
Director and Head of Accounts and the Deputy Director and Head of Financial
Planning.

This, it stated, is the usual practice whenever the DG is unavailable.

The statement reads, “The National Pension Commission (PenCom) appeared before the House of Representatives committee on Finance on Thursday, 08 September 2022, to defend the Commission’s 2021/2022 Budget and present the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP).

“At the hearing, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon Saidu Abdullahi, frowned at the absence of the Commission’s Director-General, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar.

“It is pertinent to note that the DG’s absence was because she was out of town attending an official engagement. However, the Commissioner of Finance, the Director and Head of Accounts and the Deputy Director and Head of Financial Planning represented her, which is the usual practice whenever the DG is unavailable.

“The Director General takes invitations from the National Assembly seriously and ensures that she attends personally except when the exigencies of her office make it impossible, in which case the relevant Commissioner and Management staff of the Commission represent her.

“Finally, PenCom notes with satisfaction the observation by the House Committee on the quality and comprehensiveness of the reports submitted to it by the Commission.”