Thus it is public knowledge that our beloved country is unarguably one of the richest countries in the world as it boasts of some of the best in terms of human resources. It is quite gratifying that since 1999 when democracy was restored in Nigeria, successive administrations have deemed it expedient to tap into the intellectual, administrative and managerial wealth of highly valued Diaspora Nigerians by inviting them to contribute their quotas to the development of motherland.
It is with this benefit of hindsight that Ms Nellie Mayshak the suspended Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD), was appointed in 2013 following the establishment of the agency in August of that year under the Pension Reform Act 2004, to consolidate and manage pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) aimed at integrating pensioners who did not transit into the new Contributory Pension Scheme that was introduced in 2004.
The need for the engagement of a Coordinator with the qualification, requisite skills, competence and cognate experience, that would have the primary and sole responsibility of ensuring full and expedited implementation of the project became very necessary. The Jonathan administration with the advice of the then head of Service, Alhaji Boni Yaji and the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala found Nellie Mayshak very apt for the job. What with her impressive resume as an international development expert with nearly three decades in public sector management with stints in UK, Eastern Europe, Canada and several African countries including Angola, Cameroun, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, and Sudan. Also, as a one-time Adviser in the office of the Prime Minister of Kenya and Cabinet Office of Uganda, the Nigerian government had no doubt that she was going to bring her wealth of experience to bear in the running of PTAD and this she did with the impressive gale of successes that the agency recorded under her supervision.
Prior to her appointment, the Defined Benefit Scheme was riddled with monumental cases of misappropriation and allegations of fraud for several years which elicited public outcry over what was seen as an open and mindless pillaging of the sweat of our hapless pensioners. The cumulative effect of all these was an unfortunate situation of bloated payroll and accumulated liabilities, unremitted and unaccounted trapped funds with pension underwriters, thereby increasing backlog of pension liabilities that were mounting on a daily basis.
This was the sorry state of the Nigerian pension scheme before the appointment of Ms Mayshak, who swiftly and deftly applied her experience to turn the Scheme around using modern technology and automated processes to drive payment efficiency, a development that has significantly ameliorated the plight of thousands of the hitherto vulnerable Nigerian pensioners, who depend on their monthly pensions for the sustenance of their livelihood.
This has not only introduced transparency and accountability in pension payments, but has to a very large extent, ensured that the management of the DBS is fraud free, and has changed the paradigm of pensioners from gross neglect and disaffection to relief and hope.
Sadly, those who perpetrated pension fraud in the system over the years watched with heightened consternation while the system was being cleaned up. The axiom that when you fight corruption, corruption will fight you back became rife in no time. Before we knew it, oppositions from some notable government agencies with stakes in pension business mounted, as series of petitions started flying right, left and centre accusing PTAD of moving too fast with consolidation. Insurance companies that defaulted in the payment of pension funds as well as fraudsters delisted from pension payroll also joined in the growing number of oppositions against PTAD.
It is also on record that there was no love lost between the agency and a one-time accountant general of the federation over a job schedule with financial underpinning which was ultimately decided on the side of the former.
No sooner was this matter resolved than the seat of power was regaled with series of anonymous petitions accusing her of misappropriation of funds, nepotism, inflation of contracts and using companies allegedly linked to her to corner juicy contracts at PTAD.
It did not therefore come as a surprise to watchers of events when Ms Nellie Mayshaks name made a huge appearance in the public and social media domain when she was handed a suspension letter by the supervisory minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
Yes, corruption must be fought, no doubt; yes, culprits must be brought to book and punished if found culpable, no doubt; but hauling large stones and casting same at public officials considered to be corrupt or imagined to be, would certainly belie whatever gains that are anticipated in the war against corruption. One would have expected that a public official who is working hard to align with the current government in line with its change mantra be glorified rather than being vilified.
What benefits are there to be used and dumped by ones government based on unfounded allegations of official graft when it is clear that the proverbial hand of Esau has been busy beating the drum of infamy in a system where moral rectitude has become a scarce commodity?
Some of her numerous detractors even went to the ridiculous extent to say that Ms Mayshak has been paying herself the sum of N60 million on a monthly basis, when there exists a fixed consolidated salary structure for PTAD, duly approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages commission in which the total salary/allowances for PTADs DG is less than N3.5million a month which is one of the least among agencies of government in the financial genre such as CBN, FIRS, PDTF, PPRD, PENCOM and others. How is it possible for a civil servant to arbitrarily fix salary/allowances for his or herself without any recourse to the Wages and Salaries Commission that fixes the salaries and allowances of Public Servants in her cadre?
It is saddening that government could allow itself to be swayed by those who have benefited from pension fraud in the past and it must realize the likelihood of the incidences of pension fraud being resuscitated if those who are after Ms Mayshaks head succeed in the long run.
Questions and more questions! But why go on, when it is quite evident that the Nigerian Civil Service is infested with politically minded individuals with their willing collaborators in the private sector? Their venom is unmistakable. When they sink in their fangs, they leave indelible injuries!
It is hoped that the government would carry out thorough investigation to get to the roots of this pension cankerworm in order to reengineer trust in the minds of well meaning Diaspora Nigerians who may be interested to come home to serve the government of Nigeria in future.
NATION
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