PenCom will not succumb to blackmail, says DG

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is ready to open its books for scrutiny, the Director-General, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, has said.

This is following series of petitions to the anti-graft agencies against the commission and the DG.

Mrs. Dahir-Umar in a statement made available to journalists yesterday disclosed that there is a co-ordinated plan to bring the commission into disrepute with frivolous petitions to the anti-graft agencies in collaboration with disgruntled insiders.

The PenCom DG who said she has nothing to hide, said she will not allow anyone to pilfer pension funds for self-aggrandisement.

“It will never happen under my watch,” she assured, adding: “These elements, some of whom are yet to come to terms with the fact that PenCom is no longer at their beck and call, have been sponsoring negative media reports and getting faceless groups to write frivolous petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Although some low-level media outfits (not this newspaper) are giving a voice to these defamatory petitions, those who know how we conduct our affairs at PenCom are not in any way bothered. Since I took over as the DG, we have undertaken far-reaching reforms within the organisation which are yielding positive results.”

Describing the era of “anything goes” as long dead and buried, she said: “Those who think they can use the commission to make money or that they should be the ones calling the shots are bitterly disappointed and are sponsoring false publications and trumped-up petitions. We will cooperate fully with the agencies. Our message to the disgruntled elements today is exactly as it was yesterday: we will not allow anyone to pilfer pension funds for self-aggrandisement. It will never happen under my watch.”

(Nation)