By Umar Yusuf

As Adamawa State embarks on the verification of its pensioners, the member representing Guyuk constituency, and chairman of house committee on public service and election, in the state house of Assembly, Adwawa Dangluck has revealed that about 800 ghost pensioners have been discovered in the second day of the verification exercise.

Dangluck , who is the Deputy Chief Whip of the state assembly spoke at Ribadu Square, venue of the verification exercise to ascertain the level of progress and challenges being encountered.

He noted that the major problem encountered on the first day was a shortage of staff to conduct the exercise, but that the issue was resolved after due consultations with the permanent secretary.

Dangluck whose committee is in charge of pensioners welfare noted that the ghost workers will be expunged from the list so that genuine ones who are not getting their benefits will be covered.

“We have too many ghost pensioners, some are dead and some cannot physically come to be verified.

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” So far, between 700 to 800 ghost pensioners have been detected. We will take action so that there will be consistency in payment of genuine pensioners.

“Some pensioners are not getting their entitlements because of these ghost pensioners. Their names will be expunged from the list for genuine pensioners to benefit,” he said.

Commenting on the exercise, Chairman of Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Adamawa State chapter, Samson Almuru noted that pensioners plight have over the years multiplied as a result of the lacklustre attitude with which past administrations in the state treat their welfare.

He, however, thanked the Fintiri led administration for championing their cause.

“We are grateful to Fintiri for addressing some of the challenges we have faced for years. He promised to address our concerns and he is doing just that,” Almuru said.

Almuru noted that currently there are about 20,000 pensioners in the state adding that with the verification exercise, ghost pensioners will be weed out, noting that already the names of those who are not physically present without tangible evidence will be regarded as ghost workers.

Some of the pensioners interviewed however expressed reservations over the slow phase of the exercise.

VANGUARD