Delay in pension payment aiding corruption, says Rep

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development, Oladipupo Adebutu, has blamed corruption in the civil service on the delay in the payment of pensions.

Adebutu made the disclosure at the weekend in Abeokuta when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Nollywood actor, Samuel Adesanya, also called “Pastor Ajidara.”

According to the lawmaker, who represents Remo Federal Constituency, the failure to pay retirees years after their retirement, is why they steal while in service.

The Guardian learnt that the late Adesanya was not paid his pensions, which was estimated to be about N4million before he died some weeks ago.

Adebutu, who was accompanied by some chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), stressed that the failure to promptly pay retirees was sending a wrong signal to the upcoming generations.

He urged the various levels of government to pay the pensions and gratuities of their retired civil servants to make the country move forward.

He said: “When people devote their lifetime to work in a system that is pensionable, it is obligatory for the employer to honour the contract. It is unkind for such monies to be misappropriated.”

The lawmaker expressed sadness that the late actor needed N1.3 million to have an operation for a kidney transplant and all efforts to raise the money were unsuccessful.

“We have been told that he had an unpaid pension of N4million, but only N1.3 million was needed to save his life, which he couldn’t access,” he said.

He, however, donated N500, 000 to the widow, Atinuke to take care of the family.