Retired local government workers and public primary school teachers in Delta State are calling on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene in what they describe as a “fraudulent” deduction of up to N8 million from each pensioner’s gratuity. The retirees accuse the Delta State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the State Auditor General for Local Government, and a consulting firm, Logic Forensic Consultant, of conspiring to make these significant deductions.
The pensioners claim that deductions ranging from N2 million to N8 million have been removed from their gratuities, and they are urging Governor Oborevwori to step in and address the issue. Last year, the group had raised concerns about a proposed N4 million deduction, but the recent deductions far exceed that amount. In a protest letter, the retirees expressed frustration over the ill-treatment they are receiving and vowed to continue their protest against any form of deduction.
At the time, ALGON’s former state chairman, Victor Ebonka, denied the allegations, calling them false. He challenged the retirees to bring in an investigating authority to prove their claims.
However, in a recent communiqué issued after a general meeting of the pensioners’ groups in Ughelli on Wednesday, and addressed to Governor Oborevwori, the retirees renewed their accusations. The communiqué, signed by group leaders Daniel Onosanimoni, Gordon Etuwede, Godwin Ekeleni, and John Egie, described the deductions as fraudulent and vowed to fight for a refund of the lost funds.
The retirees claim that the deductions were a result of ALGON and the Auditor General’s decision to replace an existing payment template, created by B.A. Adigun & Associates and in use from 2011 to 2019 (for local government workers) and 2011 to 2016 (for public primary school teachers), with a new one designed by Logic Forensic Consultant. This new template, according to the pensioners, resulted in massive deductions, leading to severe financial hardship for many retirees.
“Your Excellency, it is alarming that after you secured a N40 billion loan to pay retirees, ALGON engaged a different accounting firm (Logic Forensic Consultant) to adjust the old payment system, leading to huge deductions from our gratuities,” the retirees wrote in their communiqué. They further alleged that the total amount owed to retirees was N56 billion, but ALGON somehow managed to settle the debt with only the N40 billion loan provided by the governor. They also claim that some retirees who served for 35 years received as little as N650,000 in retirement benefits.
In their plea, the pensioners urged Governor Oborevwori to instruct ALGON and the Auditor General to revert to the previous payment template and ensure that all retirees are refunded for the deductions.
When contacted, the Delta State Auditor General for Local Government, Ikenna Ukaka, denied the allegations. He stated that there were no fraudulent deductions or conspiracies involved and that the payments were calculated using relevant salary structures. “We have been taken to court and before the Ministry of Justice, but they find it difficult to understand. Even their lawyers don’t understand,” Ukaka said, defending the work done by Logic Forensic Consultant as accurate and legitimate.
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