Delta Pensioners Demand Accountability From ALGON For Fraudulent Activities

Delta Pensioners Demand Accountability From ALGON For Fraudulent Activities

Retired local government employees 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 the consulting firm Logic Forensic Consultant of conspiring to fraudulently deduct between N2 million and N8 million from their gratuities…… CONTINUE READING

In response, the pensioners have appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene and persuade ALGON and the Auditor General (Local Government) to revert to the previous payment system and ensure a refund of the excessive deductions that have led to shortfalls and underpayments for retirees across Delta State.

The appeal was made in a communiqué issued at the end of a general meeting held in Ughelli, addressed to the governor, and signed by Pastor Daniel Onosanimoni, Prince Gordon Etuwede, Builder Godwin Ekeleni, and Comrade John Egie, who represent the retirees’ groups.

The pensioners argue that instead of adhering to a previously accepted payment template used from April 2011 to October 2019 for local government workers and from 2011 to June 2016 for public primary school teachers, ALGON and the Auditor General engaged Logic Forensic Consultant to alter the payment system, resulting in significant deductions from their gratuities.

They have expressed deep frustration over the hardship caused by these changes, highlighting that following the governor’s guarantee of a N40 billion loan, ALGON engaged another accounting firm to modify the old payment template, leading to substantial deductions.

The pensioners contend that the total benefits owed to retirees amount to N56 billion, and the N40 billion loan guaranteed by Governor Oborevwori does not cover retirees from January 2020 onwards. They question how ALGON could resolve a N56 billion debt with a N40 billion loan intended for more recent retirees.

They further criticize ALGON for the arbitrary allocation of pension benefits, noting that some retirees with 35 years of service have received certificates indicating total retirement benefits as low as N650,000, in an attempt to clear all retirement benefits up to 2023.