N2.9b debt: NJC clears outstanding pension arrears

THE National Judicial Council (NJC) has offset “99 per cent” of
the N2.9billion pension arrears it owed judicial workers across the
country since 2007.

NJC Executive Secretary Ahmed Gambo Saleh said it had also
curbed the menace of ghost pensioners in the scheme by ensuring
that pensioners sign an indemnity bond.

Saleh spoke at the Ikeja High Court in Lagos on Saturday during
a verification exercise for NJC workers in the state.

He said: “The NJC took over the administration of pension for
retired judiciary officers, otherwise known as the defined benefit
scheme in the year 2007.

“The exercise is being handled by the office of the Head of
Service of the federation.

“By coming into force with the Pension and Administration
Judicial Officers Act 2007, the NJC was saddled with the
responsibility of administrating same.

“In 2013, the National Pension Commission also collapsed the
administration of accrued benefits of retired federal judiciary
staff to the NJC.

“These two developments forced a number of challenges to the
council, in the sense that apart from taking over the
administration of the pension, the council also inherited a huge
sum of money in terms of arrears for the entire judicial officers
and federal judiciary staff in the tune of N2.6 billion.”

Saleh added: “It is, however, gratifying today for me to say
that the council has so far settled 99 per cent of its arrears. Not
only that, the council is also up-to-date in terms of monthly
pension to all judiciary pensioners; having paid the pension for
the month of October, a few days ago.

“It is also pertinent to mention that, as of today, our retired
federal judiciary officers and staff received their gratuities not
a minute later in the day of their retirements.”

A former Lagos State Chief Judge Justice Inumidun Akande hailed
the scheme.

“It was very nice and professionally done. We haven’t been
having any problems. I have been coming here since I retired in
2012. They’ve been paying our pension; in fact, they pay quicker
than even Lagos State. I score the exercise an A,” Justice Akande
said.

Also, a former Lagos State Assistant Chief Registrar, who
retired in 2003, Adisa Ayodele Sule, said: “I retired in 2003 and
they don’t owe me.”