General
We Pay N16b Monthly To Pensioners—PTAD Boss
By Dipo Olowookere
Acting Director General/Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mr Murtala Musa Oluwatoyin, has disclosed that about N16 billion is paid monthly as pension.
The PTAD boss disclosed this and others in a recent interview. Excerpts:
PTAD’s Data Mess
Before I took over, we had a lot of issues. In fact, I have the personal experience of my uncle who applied for over two years and they were asking him to wait for clarification but when I took over and based on that experience, I found out that the problem is that of records. We have updated the records, we have their files and we have done so many of them. And more are still coming. As at last week, we added 178 pensioners with complaints and we paid their arrears.
Our pension liabilities keep reducing every month. Presently, we have been able to pay part of the 33 percent arrears being owed pensioners. I have paid all outstanding 33 per cent increment arrears for those in the paramilitary services from the savings we are making.
Pension Arrears
Similarly, for civil service pension, I have paid 12 months’ arrears and I am still planning to pay another 12 months very soon. For parastatals, we have been able to pay 12 months but we have issue of records with them. Before they were unbundled to us, some of the trust funds have been paying them so now we are asking for information on how much they have been paid. Once that is done, we will move ahead.
All the regular and payment of arrears we have been making are from the normal funds we receive. There have been no additional funds released to us. We make the savings from ghost manes we have been able to remove from the payroll. In one particular week, we closed about 800 different accounts in one day from various banks which we passed to ICPC for investigation. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with ICPC on pension fraud and they have promised to assist us. We are hoping that very soon we will unravel those behind the illegal accounts. It is an ongoing process however and there may be more discoveries.
BVN Has Helped
We have been using BVN to track multiple accounts. Many of such accounts are hurriedly being closed now because they realize we are on to them.
However, there are times that we remove some names because they did not appear for verification, which we later re-inserted if such people come forward and were able to prove that they were either sick or travelled and couldn’t appear for the verification exercise or because their accounts went dormant.
Police Pension
We have not been able to pay arrears of police pension. However, we have been able to establish their records and over the years we have been paying most of them. We have also captured those who were hitherto not being paid. Because most names on police pension payroll are genuine, we have not been able to make much savings from them. Even when I paid 12 months’ arrears across board, I could only manage to pay three months to police pensioners. Even then, I had to harvest from the savings I made from others to be able to pay the three months. We explained this to Police Pension Union. Right now, we have requested for additional funds and once we get this, or by December if we are able to make more savings from the paramilitary, who we do not owe any arrears, we will be able to divert that to pay police.
Challenges At PTAD
The primary challenge that I have is funding. The economy is in recession and so funding is a general problem. Another challenge is that of records and verification. We still have to go for verification. Right now, we are trying to raise funds so that we can embark on verification exercise for civil service pensioners. The verification will also enable us to know our pensioners physically and know the names that we are supposed to remove from our payroll.
When PTAD was established, we did not have any records. We just took over the payrolls that Mr Maina and others were using. It is now that we are cleaning the process with the records we have been able to generate. It is a tedious process, trying to establish an authentic payroll.
On Former PTAD DG’s Case with EFCC
I don’t like beating a fallen horse. If the EFCC decides to make their findings public concerning the investigation of the former Director General, it will be their decision. She has been busy trying to exonerate herself through newspaper writings but EFCC has not made any statement. And it is not for me to pronounce her guilty or innocent either. But she shouldn’t have been referred to EFCC in the first place if there was no prima facie case against her. But I am mindful of the image of PTAD as an organization and do not want to run it down. We are trying to make the agency a responsive and dignified agency and I should not be seen to be running down an organization that I am heading. However, we have already documented what happened and forwarded them to EFCC. I told you that we had issues with data and record-keeping and those are some of the things that she is being accused of. And these are issues for which contracts were awarded and never executed. These are some of the things we sent to EFCC. The question she should answer is whether those contracts were executed. Those are the issues but I do not want to dwell on them since we have handed them over to EFCC. We should just draw a line and move forward. That is why we have been quiet on our end. It is left for EFCC and herself to clear themselves.
Scamming of Pensioners
We have placed several adverts, warning pensioners from patronizing touts and also against paying money to anybody to help them process their papers. We also have call centres for people to make direct enquiries. If you are computer literate, you can make email enquiries. We are also now trying to link up with the call centre of the Head of Service. We spent a lot of money to do the link up so that pensioners will have a wider means to contact us. And we have been telling them through their unions. In fact, I am going to do radio jingles very soon to warn people not to pay to anybody. If we contact you for records, we will contact you on how it will get to us. We have online medium that pensioners can use. We have state offices where they can submit them. We will never ask you to pay a dime but we still find some people who will say some people are asking them to pay money. Even enlightened people are falling for such scam. A lawyer once approached me saying that someone asked him to pay for his mother in law to be verified and I asked how a lawyer should fall for such. And when you hear the way they present the issues, if you are logical and not greedy, you shouldn’t fall victim. For instance, if someone tells you that PTAD is about to pay you N10 million, you are supposed to know if you are entitled to that amount in the first place.
Our telephony system makes it difficult to track people. I have been working with Department of State Security Service (DSS) and all the phone numbers that people give me I forward to DSS to track but up till now, they have not been able to apprehend anybody. It is not easy to track people. We pay about N16 billion pensions monthly. It is a lot of money.
Allegation of holding two positions
It is not fair for anybody to accuse me of holding two offices. I am a director in the office of Accountant-General of the Federation. It was because of the mess created in PTAD that I was seconded there as acting Director-General. You can see than I still maintain my office in the Accountant-General’s office and whenever a substantive Director-General is appointed, I will return to my office. But up till now, no substantive Director-General has been appointed.
http://leadership.ng/business/552170/we-pay-about-n16bn-pension-monthly-ptad-acting-dg
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy said it has intensified a crackdown on crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, recovering more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products during the second quarter of Operation Delta Sentinel.
The Navy disclosed that the renewed offensive, conducted between April and June 2026, also led to the arrest of over 91 suspects, the dismantling of more than 48 illegal refining sites, and the interception of several vessels linked to crude oil theft.
The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the intensified operations followed the successful completion of the first quarter of the operation and were aimed at consolidating gains in the fight against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, militancy and other forms of economic sabotage.
According to him, naval forces carried out over 580 intelligence-driven operations across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States, significantly disrupting the activities of criminal syndicates operating within the Niger Delta.
Among the notable achievements recorded during the period was the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, which were allegedly involved in the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Navy also recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from a single illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State.
Captain Folorunsho said several intelligence-led operations further dismantled reactivated illegal refining camps, intercepted illicit petroleum consignments and prevented criminal networks from restoring illegal production capacity across the region.
He noted that coordinated riverine operations resulted in the destruction of numerous illegal refining sites, reservoirs, dugout pits, storage facilities, warehouses, concealed fuel dumps, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts.
According to him, the Navy also uncovered a growing pattern of criminal groups attempting to reactivate previously dismantled refining camps.
He said sustained follow-up operations successfully prevented the regeneration of the illegal refining ecosystem and further weakened the economic viability of crude oil theft networks.
The Navy attributed the operational successes to sustained intelligence-led operations and enhanced collaboration with other security agencies.
It noted that the achievements coincided with the recent announcement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) that Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 per cent of the country’s production quota by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the highest production level recorded since April 2020.
The service said the improved production figures reflected enhanced security around critical oil and gas infrastructure and the collective efforts of security agencies in tackling crude oil theft.
It added that the persistent naval presence across the Niger Delta waterways had denied economic saboteurs freedom of operation, disrupted illicit petroleum supply chains and strengthened the protection of strategic national assets.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain, the Navy pledged to sustain intelligence-driven operations and deepen inter-agency cooperation to further dismantle oil theft networks.
The Service also said it remains committed to supporting the federal government’s target of increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027, in line with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A platform to bring together critical stakeholders for the development of the South East region of Nigeria has been created by Afia Media, Nigeria’s only broadcaster dedicated to the South-East on DStv and GOtv.
The company, established by a foremost media and communications practitioner, Mr Emeka Mba, launched the Afia Annual Lecture and Awards for this purpose.
It is to bring together leaders from government, business, academia, culture and civil society to discuss the future of the South-East and celebrate excellence across the geo-political zone.
The initiative is expected to become an annual gathering focused on thought leadership, policy dialogue, regional development and the recognition of outstanding contributions to society.
The inaugural edition, themed Uwa Bu Afia: Trading Ideas for Development, is fixed for the fourth quarter of 2026 in Enugu.
Uwa Bu Afia was derived from the Igbo expression meaning the world is a marketplace. It was chosen to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and innovative capacity that have long defined the people of the South-East.
The event will be broadcast live on Afia TV (DStv Channel 263 and GOtv), Afia 99.3 FM Enugu, and streamed digitally to audiences across Nigeria and the diaspora.
According to the organisers, the Annual Lecture and Awards are designed as a platform that will convene policymakers, business leaders, academics, innovators, creatives, development partners and other stakeholders to examine opportunities and challenges facing the South-East.
Mr Mba said the platform reflects the organisation’s commitment to amplifying the voices, aspirations and development priorities of the region, noting that, “The South East is one of Nigeria’s most entrepreneurial and culturally vibrant regions. The Afia Annual Lecture and Awards is designed to provide a credible platform for dialogue, recognition and collective action towards the region’s future.”
The programme will feature two major segments: the Afia Annual Lecture, bringing together public and private sector leaders, policymakers and development stakeholders for high-level conversations on the future of the region, and the Afia Awards Gala, celebrating individuals and institutions making significant contributions to society.
Organisers said the event is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants physically, while millions more are projected to follow proceedings through television, radio and online broadcasts.
A director at Afia Media, Mrs Ijeoma Ezeasor, said the region must take ownership of its narrative in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.
“If we do not tell our own story, others will tell it for us. We are entering an era where artificial intelligence is shaping conversations, interpreting history and influencing decisions based on the information available to it.
“If the South-East does not deliberately document its achievements, define its aspirations and contribute its perspective to global conversations, others will define us on our behalf.
“Uwa Bu Afia is therefore a call to think critically about our future, confront our challenges honestly and shape the narrative of our region in a rapidly changing world,” she stated.
The platform will serve as an annual opportunity to evaluate regional progress, stimulate policy conversations, encourage investment, promote innovation and strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The Afia Awards will recognise individuals and institutions making outstanding contributions to regional development, across categories including Governance, Business Leadership, Technology and Innovation, Cultural Excellence, Diaspora Impact, Civic and Humanitarian, Leadership in Education, and Youth.
Nominations, partnership opportunities and additional programme details will be announced in the coming months.
Afia Media said it intends for the initiative to evolve into a lasting institution that promotes regional storytelling, celebrates achievement and contributes to the long-term development of the South-East.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed reports linking the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Kemi Nandap, to an ongoing investigation into alleged visa racketeering involving some immigration officers.
The anti-graft agency said Mrs Nandap was not under investigation and had no connection whatsoever with the cases currently being handled by the commission.
The clarification was contained in a statement posted on the EFCC’s official X handle, noting that the clarification became necessary to address media reports and insinuations suggesting that the NIS Comptroller General was being investigated over the alleged visa fraud.
“The commission wishes to state unequivocally that it has no case with the Immigration CG,” the EFCC said.
However, the agency confirmed that it’s prosecuting some immigration officers over alleged visa fraud, adding that investigations remain ongoing.
“There are subsisting cases of alleged visa fraud against some immigration officers at the Federal High Court. Further investigations are ongoing with the possibility that more NIS officers could be arraigned for alleged fraudulent practices in the near future,” the statement read.
The EFCC stressed that despite the ongoing investigations and court cases involving some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Comptroller General was not linked to the matter.
“However, the Immigration CG is not remotely connected to these investigations,” the organisation stated.
The anti-corruption agency also urged journalists and media organisations to verify information relating to its activities before publication to prevent the dissemination of inaccurate reports, appealing to the media “to always seek clarifications on the activities of the EFCC to avoid misrepresentation of facts.”
