The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) are set to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening the fight against pension fraud and enhancing transparency in Nigeria’s pension administration.
A statement on Thursday by the ICPC’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, stated that this initiative was announced when the agency’s Chairman, Musa Aliyu, visited the PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya in Abuja.
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Mr Aliyu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), expressed concerns over the persistent challenges retirees face in accessing their benefits, attributing much of the hardship to systemic corruption.
He emphasised the commission’s readiness to collaborate with PTAD to improve transparency and accountability in pension management.
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“I want to thank the Executive Secretary and her team for this important visit. The issue of pensions is very close to my heart, particularly because of the hardship our senior citizens endure just to receive their entitlements,” he said.
“There is a clear need for this MoU to enable both organisations to jointly combat fraudulent activities and ensure a more efficient pension administration.”
The statement said the meeting highlighted the scale of the problem. PREMIUM TIMES reported that in 2024, the ICPC recovered over N20 billion siphoned through fraudulent ghost workers’ pension schemes.
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He noted that the Commission also arrested individuals involved in inserting fictitious names into the federal government payroll .
He further said that corruption is not limited to PTAD alone but also affects the Contributory Pension Scheme and other pension-related initiatives.
Mr Aliyu urged PTAD to establish offices across all states to improve pensioners’ access to services and support the successful implementation of the MoU.
Appreciation
In her remarks, Ms Odunaiya expressed appreciation to the ICPC for its willingness to collaborate and highlighted PTAD’s reforms under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) over the past 12 years.
She said these reforms have improved verification, benefit computation, payments, and complaint resolution processes.
“Our efforts have significantly reduced the hardship faced by pensioners,” she said. “However, we are increasingly challenged by fraudsters who target vulnerable retirees. We also face setbacks such as prolonged investigations and delays in prosecution, which hamper our ability to deter pension-related crimes effectively.”
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Under Ms Odunaiya’s leadership since November 2024, PTAD has made significant strides in pension administration. Notably, the Directorate deleted 51,000 ghost pensioners from its payroll in early 2024, representing about 23 per cent of the pensioners previously on its records .
Additionally, PTAD cleared a total of N1.18 billion in pension arrears over the past five years, benefiting thousands of retired federal workers.
The statement added that both agencies have agreed that the MoU would provide a framework for closer collaboration, with the shared goal of enhancing transparency, accountability, and integrity in the pension system.
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