73 per cent of Kwara pensioners risk loss of pension
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Only about 27 per cent of pensioners in Kwara state may be able to receive their monthly pension henceforth.
This is as the state commissioner for finance, Hauwa Nuru, said that at least 73. 2 per cent of the pensioners had not registered with the Kwara State Resident Registration Agency (KWSRRA) in spite of the government’s nearly one-year advocacy for them to enrol.
Nuru, in a statement, said that the government had given enough windows for workers and pensioners in the state to enrol.
She declared that the only option now left is to pay only those whose detials can be verified in line with the government’s commitment to check inefficiency and fraud in the payment.
“We have been on this campaign for nearly one year. Kwara State started almost a year ago. The government has given enough windows for all workers and pensioners to enroll. Now, we are left with no option than to pay only those whose details we can verify in line with our commitment to further clean the payroll and free up resources,” she said.
The Commissioner disclosed that the government had discovered some disturbing evidence of payroll fraud perpetrated by a cartel.
She however said that the discovery has been reported to the police for further investigation and prosecution of the suspects.
She said the cartel was deploying every trick to frustrate the KWSRRA process and the verification of authentic workers and pensioners.
The commissioner hinted that the government had approved the upward review of monthly pension by N10,000 across board for all pensioners in the state.
“The date for the implementation of this agreement for pension review in the Kwara State Public Service shall be effective from 1st May, 2025,” according to an agreement that the government signed with the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) at the instance of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) on Friday, May 23rd, she stated.
