No fewer than 38 retired Police officers have died while waiting for the payment of their pension while over 28 names of the retired officers are now missing on the list of the retirees, Chief Effiong Orok, chairman, Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria, Cross River State chapter has said.
Chief Orok, who retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, in an interview in Calabar, Friday, also appealed to the National Assembly committee in charge of Police Pension Fund to be alive to their oversight function so as to put a stop to the high rate of fraud taking place in management of Police Pension.
He disclosed that six pensioners had reported to his office that their names were removed from the list of the 28 members whosenames were missing and that even those whose names were on the list had not been paid while those who received their money were under paid.
In a statement, Orok appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that their pension was paid before they die, stressing that regular payment of their pensions and arrears ould not stop the investigation of the recently discovered fraud allegedly perpetuated by the chairman of Pension Reform Taskforce Team led by Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina.
“The Pensioners whose welfare the whole exercise is all about, is left in the blizzard of suffering. Many pensioners whose names were in the pay roll before the biometric verification of July, 2011, do not see their names in the pay roll again.
“They are left without pay since August and September, 2011 till date. Those whose names appear are paid once every three months, since the year started, we have been paid once. We are now crying to the Federal Government that we are roasting in the economic heat facing everyone.
“We have been informed that the pension fund has been frozen. We are aware that intrigues and calculated attempt to cover up irregularities have trailed the investigation,” he said.
Culled: Vangurad
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