A group, the Nigerian Youth for Change, seeking justice for 43 new recruits of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) hired by the commission in March 2017, has faulted the claim by the Acting Director-General (DG) of the agency, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, that the resumption of the recruits was indefitely suspended due to non-compliance with the number of employees approved by the Federal Character Commission.
The group, which staged a massive protest at the headquarters of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) on Wednesday, had alleged that the suspension resulted in the death of Mallam Mustapha Ajiya as he resigned his former appointment since April 2017 and had no money to take care of his health and young family.
A statement issued in Abuja by the spokesperson of the group, Comrade Azubike Okafor, said: “We read with utter shock the lie peddled to newsmen by the Acting DG of PENCOM, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar that the resumption of the late Mallam Mustapha Ajiya and 42 others was suspended because the Commission employed 43 persons, whereas the Federal Character Commission (FCC) gave approval for 16 only. She also lied that upon assuming charge of PENCOM, she met an existing letter suspending the resumption of the new recruits.
“These are lies from the pit of hell as the FCC approved 43. The letter to that effect was received by Hadiza Oninyangi as acting Head of Human Resources of PENCOM, who thereafter signed the employment letters on the strength of the approval. Also, there was no letter predating her, which restrained the late Mustapha and others from resuming.
“We challenge the Acting DG to publish the letter suspending their assumption of duty. We also challenge her to make public the Federal Character Commission’s letter approving only 16 new employees, bearing in mind that other persons also have officially received copy of the Commission’s letter approving 43 new staffs for PENCOM, while the destruction or forgery of government document is a serious crime under our legal system”.
The group described the Acting DG’s claim as “an afterthought, having sat on the jobs of the helpless Nigerian youth since May 2017”, adding that “this is how she has been misleading the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha”.
“If she had such a serious case, why did she not formally write the recruits rather than resorting to phone calls?
“Since she now claims to be a stickler to due process, we also challenge her to ooping 300 percent increase of exit/severance benefits for herself and other senior management staff and also authorising the increase of General Managers (equivalents of Directors) from 10 to 17 contrary to Sections 24 and 25 of the Pension Reform Act 2014 as there have been no board in place since April 2017 when she assumed office”.
The group reinstated its call on President Muhammadu Buhari to remove and investigate the Acting DG and appoint a competent hand such as Mr. Yerima Iyiodo, the expedient transmission of the names of Funsho Doherty and the Commissioners announced since May 2017 to the Senate for confirmation to salvage PENCOM and the pension industry.
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