Retired local government workers and public primary school teachers in Delta State have accused the Delta State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, the State Auditor General and a consulting firm, Logic Forensic Consultant, of conspiring to fraudulently deduct between N2m and N8m from their gratuities.
In their prayers, the pensioners asked Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to use his good offices to prevail on ALGON and the Auditor General (Local Government) to revert to the old payment template and consequently, ensure the refund of the humongous deductions that form the shortfalls and underpayments of all affected retirees and pensioners in Delta State.
They called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene and redress the matter.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a general meeting of the pensioners’ groups held in Ughelli and addressed to the governor.
The communiqué was signed by Pastor Daniel Onosanimoni, Prince Gordon Etuwede, Builder Godwin Ekeleni and Comrade John Egie, chairmen and secretaries of retired workers and teachers groups respectively.
The pensioners claimed that rather than use a payment template prepared by the consulting firm, B.A. Adigun & Associates, which was universally accepted and had been used for payment of pensions and gratuities from April 2011 to October 2019 (for local government workers) and 2011 to June 2016 (for public primary school teachers) without any hiccup, ALGON, in collaboration with the Auditor General engaged the services of Logic Forensic Consultant to tinker with the old payment template resulting in humongous deductions from their gratuities.
They lamented the act is consequently inflicting severe pain and hardship on them.
They informed the governor: “Your Excellency, it is sad to note that immediately after you guaranteed the N40b loan facility, ALGON surreptitiously engaged the services of another accounting firm (Logic Forensic Consultant) to tinker with the old payment template resulting in humongous deduction.”
They argued that the total accrued benefits to retirees and pensioners owed by the Delta State Government within the period stated amounted to N56 billion and that the N40 billion loan guaranteed by Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori did not contemplate those retired from January 2020 and thereafter.
They stated: “It is therefore curious to note how ALGON, using the Bureau of Local Government Pensions, came about settling an indebtedness of over N56 billion with N40 billion loan guaranteed by His Excellency, the governor, for the payment of benefits of those who retired as late as 2023.”
According to the pensioners, ALGON arbitrarily allocated pension benefits to the extent that some retirees who served for 35 years were issued certificates of payment as low as N650,000 as total retirement benefits just to ensure that they cleared all retirement benefits up to 2023.