Biometric enrolment: 40,000 ghost pensioners weeded out of payroll -FG

THE Federal Government, on Wednes day, said the biometric enrolment of federal pensioners and those with states share conducted in June this year, has yielded tremendous result as about 40,000 ghost pensioners were weeded out of the government’s payroll.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, who disclosed this in Abuja, said another N15 billion was saved by the Federal Government through the review of the Group Life Insurance Scheme for the federal workers.

Oronsaye said in spite of the controversy that characterised the conduct of the biometric capture of the federal pensioners, he was fulfilled that the gains had far outweighed the cries and hues that greeted the exercise, saying people were always resistant to change.

He said the verification and biometric enrolment of pensioners would enable government to determine the accurate number of pensioners, accurate amount of monthly pension liability, build a database of pensioners’ information that would be used to facilitate as well as streamline the administration and direct payment of monthly pensions.

He said before the exercise, his office was inundated with complaints of non-payment of pension, and others who had retired so many years ago were not captured in the payroll and about N24 billion was being paid by the government monthly for the pension.

He added that investigations by his office made startling revelations that there was collusion, recycling of documents, and introduction of fake pensioners.