Nigerian Bank Nigeria CBN Central Bank Of Nigeria – Pensioner Returns Four Point Seven Million Naira Excess Payment

Source Daily Sun: Beifoh Osewele, January 23rd 2010

In Nigeria, the lot of pensioners is anything but enviable. What they have to endure to get their stipend is akin to the proverbial camel passing through the needles eye. A nightmare. Near impossibility. More often than not we have cases of these senior citizens collapsing or even dying in the process of trying to collect the money.

But what if you were a pensioner and ‘lucky’ not only to receive your pay check, but have it inflated by well over N4 million. Yes, over a princely N4million on a platter. Just what would you do? Not many Nigerians, whether pensioners or otherwise, would bat an eye-lid before pocketing it. It is my own share of the national cake would probably be their justification.

More so, in a system such as ours where official corruption has been elevated to a state policy.

But not Mr. Okechukwu Azubuike Odiari, an ex-staff of Ministry of Communications. For three times, he was handed a fat pension check in excess of N4.8million instead of N48, 808. 82kobo. And each time, he rejected it. But that is not the story.

What convulses Citizen Odiari is the fact that almost nearly two years after he did the unthinkable, by handing over the overpayment, he is yet to get official letter acknowledging the bank draft which he personally handed to former Head of Service, Ms Ama Pepple on July 27, 2008. Not that he expects a garland, bouquet or national honours for his honest and patriotic action. All that Pa Odiari craves is a proper receipt to replace the temporary one issued him.

Pa Odiari, 71, joined the Post&Telecommunication department of the Ministry of Communication in 1967. But he was swept off by the gale of retirement which heralded the tenure of the late General Murtala Muhammed as Communications Minister in 1975. Although he did not like it, he took it in his stride since he could not change it.

Other people in his shoes would have seen the overpayment as a just restitution from the state for the ill-treatment it had visited on him. But an uncommon hero and patriot par excellence that he is, Citizen Odiari thought differently, even though he confessed that the temptation to keep the fat cheque to himself was high.

Having made up his mind to do the right thing, despite goading from certain person, some of whom even think he was a fool or had gone insane, he undertook the tortuous trip from Onitsha to Abuja with a letter and a draft of N7, 710, 211.82 drawn in favour of the Federal Government.

The letter dated July 25, 2008 and addressed to “The Head of Civil Service (Attn Ama Pepple) titled “Ref: Payment of pension arrears Mr Okechukwu A. Odiari. Control no. AN/0004359 Pension number P52167 (or A24310) read: “I was one of the pensioners who were paid on the 17th of July 2008, at Enugu, by the pension team from the Accountant General’s office and Pension Commission.

“Sometime early in 2004, a payment schedule was received by the then Citizens Bank PLC, Onitsha (now Spring Bank plc) copy attached as App “A”, in which I was listed on serial number 143 bearing N4,856,859.00 and representing nine months arrears. I rejected the payment on the grounds that it was not meant for me considering my pension scale, and the bank officials saw with me. I assumed it would be corrected and promptly paid as others had been paid.

But I was wrong. It never came.

“In September 2007, another payment schedule was received and displayed to us by the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (copy attached as “App B”). I was listed on serial number 40 for payment of nine months arrears totalling N4, 808, 290.41. I had to travel to Abuja to protest this anomaly on the 15th of November 2007. The Pension Division promised to make amends and I hoped so.

“Unfortunately, when I got to Enugu on the 17th of July 2008 for payment, another payment schedule with less details was displayed. I was listed (no serial number) to be paid N4, 808,290.41. I was screened and paid. I could not get a copy of the schedule. I was paid on cheque No. 3485700101-02 for N4, 808,290.41 dated 17th July 2008.

“After much consideration and consultation I arrived at taking the payment as it is, and returning the overpayment for which a bank draft No 2384002680.04 dated 25th July 2008 for N4, 710,211.82k is hereby attached in favour of FGN.” Pa Odiari had said in the letter that he took the action “consciously believing that it is correct and this will alleviate to some extent the inconveniences which hitherto I have suffered even though there are other arrears still outstanding. Moreso, I decided to do this as a true patriot and to the glory of God Almighty.”

He met Ms Pepple on July 27, 2008. He recalled the encounter thus: “She drilled me passionately and appreciably in the presence of four permanent secretaries under her, one of them was the Permanent Secretary in charge of pensioners-Mr. Osuagwu (now retired) who was handed over the Bank Draft. He gave me a temporary receipt, which has no official coloration, promising that I will be contacted later for the official receipt.”

Since then, he has waited in vain for the promised official receipt or letter from the federal government. Now, he is not sure whether the refund was credited to the Federal Government or had lined private pockets of greedy government officials.

Is he disappointed? Yes. But his disappointment stems not only from the manner his patriotic action has been handled with disdain, but also at the way the nation is drifting, he told Saturday Sun over the phone from his Onitsha base. With the benefit of hindsight, does he regret returning the money? Does he not feel he should have taken it? His reply is emphatic NO.

“I had opportunity three times if I had wanted to take the money. But I decided to return it. Yes, there was temptation. Even my closest friend in the union (pension union) felt I should have paid it into my account and be spending it bit by bit. I had a meeting with my immediate family members and they told me to follow my heart. I decided to return it.”

He was 69 years old when he took that decision. Two years later, if a similar opportunity presents itself, he would still act same way, he enthused. The reason he took the decision to return a whopping N4, 710,211.82k (ECOBANK draft New Market Rd Branch, Onitsha Main of 25-07-2008) to FG (having deducted N48, 568.59 due to him and another N25, 853.59k and N23, 556.06k to cover cost of transport from Onitsha to Abuja, local runs, accommodation for two nights and charges on bank draft respectively) was that he fears God and secondly, he did not want to besmear his family name.

“I am a Christian who fears God. The decision to return the excess payment was not entirely mine. I was arrested by God. I was convinced that what I was doing was okay. I believed it was the right decision to take, even though the temptation was quite high. To be honest, hundreds of people told me I was a fool (for thinking of returning the money). Even one assistant director of pension I met in Abuja told me ‘how can you turn down blessing I have received from God.’” After a brief pause, he asked rhetorically, “Assuming I took it and died the following day?” Pa Odiari believed God did it to test him. And having passed the test, he said he has received sundry blessing afterwards from Him.

Hear his testimony: “My blessing from God has multiplied since I took that action. I used to be seriously diabetic, but now I’m strong. God has improved the status of my children and my life. I’m not being too religious, but I appreciate God. I haven’t got a car, but I’m okay. I have always been satisfied. Anything I want, I get. My wife has been so good to me”

But senior citizen Odiari is unable to hide his pains at the state of affairs in his beloved fatherland. Ask him to assess the nation, what you get is a litany of woes. Nigeria of today, he said, is way out of the country they dreamt of at independence.

“Nigeria is sinking. I’m ashamed of this country. There’s no day you open the newspapers and not find something shameful reported about Nigeria.” Therefore, returning the overpayment was his resolve not to join in the rot that has gnawed deeply into the nation’s socio-polity.

“How can this country come back to its original shape? Greed and corruption have become the order of the day. When you’re looking for a file you have to bribe even the office assistant, otherwise you may as well forget it. It’s a shame. At the public hospitals, you have to offer bribe before you are attended to. The dream of the nation’s founding fathers has been bastardised. Since the colonialists left, we’ve not moved one mile forward. Even, we were happier in 1964-65 before the military came in than we are today. We have strayed so badly. Nigeria is a dream betrayed. A failed dream. It’s most unfortunate and painful. I think most for the children.”

He believed we got it wrong the moment we allowed over-ambition and greed to befond our senses. Even to make matters worse, he said, is the fact that those we look up to for direction “are not telling us the truth.”

Indeed, the situation is bad enough. But he said it is not irredeemable. What is required is total cleansing of the top and middle class of the civil service and the Central Bank and then draft in trustworthy people to manage the system. And after, “we need to pray for God’s intervention.”

Nigerian Bank Nigeria CBN Central Bank Of Nigeria, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Spring Bank Plc