The Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar has expressed displeasure over ‘negative media reports by some faceless groups to bring the commission to disrepute’.
Mrs Dahir-Umar, according to a press statement by the management of PenCom, said the commission is “aware of some pointless petitions to the anti-graft agencies by some faceless groups, supported by some resentful insiders.”
She noted that the commission will never succumb to any form of blackmail as it is not bothered as an agency who has undetaken far-reaching reforms which are already yielding positive results.
In the statement over the weekend, the DG said PenCom is “ready to open its books for scrutiny as it has nothing to hide” and will cooperate fully with the anti-graft agencies while reiterating the commission’s resolve not to allow anyone use pension funds for self enrichment under her watch.
The statement reads: “The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is ready to open its books for scrutiny because it has nothing to hide. Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, the Director General has said.
“In a statement issued over the weekend, Mrs Dahir-Umar said Pencom is aware of a co-ordinated plan to bring the commission into disrepute with frivolous petitions to the anti-graft agencies in collaboration with disgruntled insiders.
“These elements, some of whom are yet to come to terms with the fact that pencom is no longer at their beck and call, have been sponsoring negative media reports and getting faceless groups to write frivolous petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Although some low-level media outfits are giving a voice to these defamatory petitions, those who know how we conduct our affairs at pencom are not in anyway bothered. Since I took over as DG, we have undertaken far-reaching reforms within the organisation which are yielding positive results.
“Those who think they can use the commission to make money or that they should be the ones calling the shots are bitterly disappointed and sponsoring false publications and trumped up petitions. We will cooperate fully with the agencies. Our message to the disgruntled elements today is exactly as it was yesterday: we will not allow anyone to pilfer pension funds for self-aggrandizement. It will never happen under my watch.
Dahir-Umar added that if pencom had anything to hide, “We would have surrendered to the agents of blackmail who have been on our case since 2017 when I became acting DG”.
