Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has said deductions from pension funds by the administration of Abdullahi Ganduje were not credited to the state government’s accounts.
He disclosed this in Kano yesterday while speaking at the second phase payment of N5 billion gratuities and death benefits to beneficiaries.
The governor added that pension payment is not a privilege but a constitutional right that must be preserved.
Yusuf said the pension system run by the previous administration was corrupt such that payments to beneficiaries were marred by illegal deductions, to the extent that pensioners don’t even know what exactly they are worth.
“Deductions made to pensioners by the previous administration were illegal; they did it because they were corrupt. All the deducted money was not sent to the government treasury. There are no records to that effect.
“They used consultants to deduct those funds and the funds did not return to the state,” Yusuf said.
The governor advised pensioners to petition the state on those irregularities while assuring that the state government would conduct an investigation into the matter to recover their money.
“What the state government can do is to support you to get your funds recovered. I advise that you petition the state government on the deductions that were made and demand for your money.
“It is based on this that a full investigation will be ordered to ensure that those monies are vduly recovered and returned to you,” he stated.
Governor Yusuf handed a dummy cheque of N5 billion to the state pensions board.
The sum of N1,940,586,786:96 was instantly disbursed to 1,140 pensioners through the electronic pension payment system.