The Minister of Finance, and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala allegations over a missing N24 billion from the Police pension account are false.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Solomon Adeola Olamilekan had accused the Minister of moving N24 billion from the Police pension account .
Paul C. Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance in a statement explained that the money was an overpayment based on the demands of those trying to steal from pension funds which was successfully blocked and the money returned to the treasury by the minister.
Nwabuikwu noted that “It is unfortunate that the Chairman has persisted in using his privileged platform to disseminate such distortions.
He said the accusation is an attempt to tarnish the image of the Minister for partisan political reasons and to take public attention away from the positive efforts to reform the historically problematic pensions sector.
“It is indeed a sad irony that the Committee Chairman is attacking the Minister for taking action to ensure that public money was not stolen, but put back into the treasury where it belongs.”
Special Adviser to the Minister, further added that the amount in question was returned to the treasury before the DG of Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD) was appointed so the effort to use her to “confirm” that the amount is missing is contrived and deceptive.