Reps Move To Probe Okonjo-Iweala Over N29bn Police Pension Fund

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Pension Matters, Honourable Ibrahim Bawa Kamba, on Sunday, disclosed that it would not hesitate to probe the Police Pension Fund reportedly under her control.

The House of Representatives has expressed its readiness to probe the Police Pension Fund reportedly under the control of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Chairman of the House Committee on Pension Matters, Hon. Ibrahim Bawa Kamba, who made this known on Sunday, said the move became necessary following the minister’s non-appearance before his committee even after she was summoned over her refusal to release about N29billion Police Pension Fund for onward distribution to the beneficiaries.
Honourable Kamba, while speaking with reporters on the development said that, “It is true that the monies have not been released because when there were problems with the police pension, they had about N29 billion in the pension account then but she refused to hand over (the money) to the director who is in charge of pension, she moved the funds to her office, she is the one handling it and making payments to police pensioners”.
According to him, “majority of them (beneficiaries) could not access their pension and gratuity until their deaths. We summoned her and (embattled former chairman, Pension Reform Task Team) Mr Abdulrasheed Maina but she refused to release the fund to the police pension office to make payments.
“We have written to her many times and summoned her but she refused to reply. We wrote her three letters no reply. When we resume from the recess, we will re-invite her again to appear before us”.
“And if she fails to come we will not hesitate to invoke relevant provisions of the laws to compel her appearance. And if we exhaust all avenues without making any head way we may have to commence a full-scale investigation.
“I also call on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that these pensioners are paid their monies by asking her return the funds to the police pension office so that they will be paid.  It is not proper that she is finance minister and at the same time she is handling police pension”, he stated.