Group Calls for Probe of PTAD Management over Alleged Corruption 

By Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
 

A group under the aegis of Movement for Transparency and Corruption Watch Nigeria (MTCWN) has called on the federal government to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD) management over allegations of corruption.

The group said the present acting Director General of the agency should be investigated over allegations that 800 ghost pensioners found on the payroll.

The group noted that while the former DG, Nellie Mayshack‎ was in charge that there were only 900 verified persons but today the current board claim to be paying 1,700 pensioners, wondering where the extra 800 persons come from.

The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Adah Inyada‎ disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja, where he accused the Office of the Accountant ‎General of the federation for deliberately frustrating the effort of the suspended DG of PTAD due to her refusal to allow powerful interest to have access to the funds after she succeeded in delisting ghost list from the payroll.

According to him, “with deep concerns, we wish to bring to the notice of the general public the monumental corruption currently on going in most government agencies with particular emphasis on PTAD”

Iyada stated that fraud and corruption are now endemic and the system had declined  to a state of rot, payments were opaque, slow, irregular and manual, leading to errors and were performed by unmotivated and uncaring staff.

‎He stated: “we are against those powerful forces that are bent at nothing than to bring to disrepute the transformation of the pension system in PTAD  under the leadership of Mayshack. The so called powerful interest had from the onset never embrace the establish of PTAD because they wanted to continue to feed fat on pension funds.”

The group however demanded that, “the federal government should in line with the change agenda and anti-corruption war of the APC led government, direct EFCC, ICPC and other relevant bodies to beam their search lights unto the activities of the current acting Director General of PTAD as it relates to pension funds.”

It said while Nigerians await the report of the committee that is looking into the alleged diversion of fund or the N50 million salary against the embattled DG, it urged the committee to expedite action in the findings and also urged the  ministry of Finance to publish the report for the public to know what transpired in PTAD under Mayshack.