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Mainagate: AGF Malami reveals masterminds, beneficiaries of pension fund
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has alleged that masterminds and beneficiaries of the looted pension fund were after him.
He said highly placed retired and current political office holders and serving senior civil servants were involved in pension fraud.
Malami is currently being probed by the Senate for the recall and reinstatement of wanted pension fraud suspect, Abdulrasheed Maina.
He said those involved in the multi-million pension fraud were behind the ferocious media onslaught against him and his office.
The Attorney General said this when he spoke with Vanguard yesterday, adding that he was convinced that the aim of the attacks was to force him to discontinue the prosecution of the high-profile looters of pension fund to the tune of N14.3 billion.
The minister disclosed that a highly organised pension fraud syndicate exists in Nigeria.
Malami said, “Let me state, however, that a barrage of organised and coordinated media attacks against the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation can best be appreciated not from exclusive point of reinstatement of Maina but from a larger perspective of pension fraud syndicate and their antics over time to suppress any attempts at associated investigations.
“The fact, however, is indisputable that there exists a pension fund fraud syndicate in Nigeria. The syndicate includes highly placed retired and current political office holders and retired and serving senior civil servants.
“The fraud permeates the following institutions: NITEL pension, NIPOST pension, NEPA pension, Nigeria Railway pension, NPA pension and NNPC pension.
“The Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, as at 2014, usually presented 258,000 persons for payment per month whereas the actual figure was 141,762. The differential is 116,238 ghost pensioners. There are 66 illegal accounts being used in perpetrating pension fraud.
“The breakdown of the amount established to have been stolen and laundered through the pension scheme and the modus operandi through which the proceeds were stolen and laundered from 2008 to 2013 is as follows: Fictitious contracts N5,761,150,608.44; Ghost pensioners, N829,902,260.40; Collective allowances, N1,365,821,942.91; Payments to States Pension Boards and others, N4,192,825,310; National Union of Pensioners, N2,290,593,322; and Association of Federal Civil Service Retirees, N253,390,300, totalling N14,374,236,846.09.
“Pension fraud was perpetrated by public officials to siphon humongous amounts in conjunction with, and with the active connivance of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP, Director of Pension Accounts, State Pension Boards, and Association of Federal Public Service Retirees, among others. Proceeds of the fraud are usually shared among the members of the syndicate.
“Mr. Maina has been part of this syndicate but things fell apart between him and the syndicate and he left the shores of Nigeria upon alleged threat to his life.
“It may interest Nigerians to know that the Federal Government of Nigeria had from 2008 to 2013 made sizeable recoveries of stolen pension funds. The position of these recoveries needs to be verified.
“What happened to the monies recovered from the syndicate? What about the 270 property, comprising real estate and motor vehicles? This is what the syndicate is labouring hard to cover up using media hype against anyone that has shown interest in lifting the veil.
“In case you are interested in having the breakdown of the recoveries, please find them listed here below: N2,800,000,000, $3,000,000, 3,500 euro, N16,185,131,847.09k through the OHCSF Pension Account No: 0023682604 domiciled with Union Bank Plc and over 270 property and motor vehicles.
‘’There are 12 criminal charges bordering on variants of financial crimes currently pending at different courts, with an aggregate value of N14.3 billion.
“The on-going cases are being continuously compromised by the powerful syndicate. Senior lawyers were being withdrawn from the prosecution of these cases and very junior lawyers were assigned to handle them.
“The intention was always to slow down the progress of the cases and turn back the hands of the clock both in terms of speed and sustenance of the coordinated memory. Principal actors in the syndicate were left off the hook and never charged while the low profile actors are left to their fate standing trial.”
News
Two-Thirds of Nigerians Can’t Afford Healthy Meals — NBS
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
News
Ford Trims Workforce: 4,000 Jobs to Go in Europe
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
News
Tinubu Dissolves UNIZIK Council, Sacks VC, Registrar, Otukpo Pro-Chancellor
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
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