Reprieve has come the way of Mallam Adamu Umar, a retiree of Sabon Gari Local Government, Zaria in Kaduna State, who has been living in abject poverty since he retired five years ago having been denied his retirement benefits.
Umar claimed to have worked at the Local Government for 13 years, in a petition dated 22nd September, 2014, and forwarded to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, alleging that the Kaduna State Local Government Staff Pension Board had denied him his retirement benefits (Gratuity and Pension) since 2010.
Following ICPC intervention and commencement of investigation into the matter, it was discovered that the pension board was indebted to Mallam Adamu for the sum of N554,263.80 (five hundred and fifty four thousand, two hundred and sixty three naira, eighty kobo).
When all hopes were lost and he was dying from old age and bouts of related diseases, one of his relatives enlightened him of how he could seek recourse through the anti corruption agency. Upon intervention by the Commission on the matter, the sum of N554,263.80 owed Mallam Umar Adamu as Gratuity and accrued Pension of 53 months was paid to him. In addition the pension board immediately perfected the payment of Mallam Adamu’s monthly pension as it was supposed to be.