By Dipo Olowookere
Federal Government has said it was putting plans in place to ensure to avoid future accumulation of pension arrears.
This information was made known by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, on Wednesday in a statement issued by the Director of Information in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Salisu Dambatta.
This was after the FG released the sum of N54 billion for the payment of pension arrears from 2013 till March 2017.
“Despite conflicting demands for available cash, President Muhammadu Buhari has always expressed concern about the plight of workers and pensioners.
“Consistent with this, we have released N41.5bn which clears the arrears inherited from the previous administration relating to the period 2013-2015 and underpayments in 2016.
“This will bring relief to thousands of our elders who have served and deserve to be paid their entitlements promptly and fully.
“The amount we paid includes arrears and the impact is that those who retired as far back as 2013, who had been unable to access pension under the contributory scheme due to non-payment, will now be paid,” Mrs Adeosun was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Minister explained to avoid future accumulation of pension arrears, the government has approved the monthly allocation to the PENCOM based on the appropriation of 2017, which will regularly be paid along with monthly salaries of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka