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Lagos State Government Approves Increase In Monthly Payments For Pensioners

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The Lagos State Government has approved a 33 percent increment for all State Pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme (PAY AS YOU GO) with effect from the 1st January, 2020.

This also includes the payment of a balance of 25% rent allowance for officers on GL 07 and above who had retired from May 2000 to August 2004.

The Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Ajibola Ponnle, who disclosed this during a recent meeting with the members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, affirmed that both the increment and payment of the arrears will take effect from September, 2020, in a bid to meet up with the harmonisation exercise for the pensioners.

She stated that Governor Sanwo-Olu, since his assumption of Office, has paid a total sum of ₦1.893Billion to Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.

She said all monthly pensions are paid as at when due without exception, despite the shortfall in revenue accruable to the State government occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to her, under the Contributory Pensions Scheme, the Lagos State Government paid over ₦21Billion as accrued pension rights to 5,354 retirees from May 2019 – August 2020, while over ₦978 Million was credited into the Retirement Savings Accounts of 405 Retirees in June 2020.

Maintaining that all retirement bond certificates for June 2020 have been released to the Pension Fund Administrators for onward transmission to beneficiaries, Ponnle reiterated that the government is determined to ensure that pensioners’ rights are paid promptly while beneficiaries will continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy in the State.

The Commissioner emphasised that the present administration is passionate about retirees’ welfare and will continue to acknowledge their service to the State, hence the reason for the approval which is also geared towards cushioning the effects of the pandemic.

Recall that the State Government recently flagged off the Biometric online verification of pensioners in the State, leveraging on technology to ease the statutory audit exercise by making pensioners participate from the comfort of their homes within the country and in the diaspora. The exercise is held bi-annually to forestall financial leakages resulting from the payment of monthly pensions to deceased pensioners.

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Naira Abuse: Court Grants Cubana Chief Priest ₦10M Bail

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The Federal High Court in Lagos State, on Wednesday, granted businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, N10m bail with two sureties in like sum.

On Tuesday, EFCC slammed him with 3 count charge over the abuse of naira and asked him to report to court.

In court, The celebrity bar man pleaded not guilty to tampering and abusing the naira during his trial.

Earlier on Sunday, the EFCC revealed that it was probing several celebrities over alleged abuse of Naira notes.

In a statement, its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said;

“Many of them have made useful statements to the commission and many more have been invited by investigators working on the matter.

“The EFCC will not relent in its no-sacred-cow mode of operations and the public should be wary of running afoul of laws against the crime.”

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Cubana Chief Priest Faces Three Count Charges By The EFCC Over Naira Abuse

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Popular celebrity bar man, Pascal Okechukwu well known as Cubana Chief Priest will be arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over abuse of the naira on Wednesday, according to court documents.

He is facing three count charges for allegedly spraying and tampering with the naira at a social event contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

Not too long away was crossdresser Bobrisky Sentenced to 6 months in prison over thesame money mutilation. Now it is Cubana Chief Priest.
It seems like the government is taking the naira abuse situation much more seriously now.

Cubana Chief Priest would be arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Cubana Chief Priest seen spraying bundles of money in a wedding

A copy of the document filed on April 4th by EFFC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside seven other lawyers representing the chairman of the Commission read:

1- “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

2 – “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

3 – “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

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Enugu Police Arrests Young Man Harbouring And Spending Fake Naira Notes

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Policemen in Enugu State have arrested a 24-year-old suspect, Mmaduabuchi Okonkwo, for allegedly possessing and transacting in counterfeit naira notes.

A total of ₦40,000 suspected counterfeited one thousand denominated Naira notes were recovered from him.

Okonkwo was said to have boarded a minibus and given the driver one of the counterfeited notes. The driver, however, scrutinised and observed that the currency was fake, thereby raising an alarm that led to the suspect’s arrest.

Information has it that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to paying N25,000 for counterfeit notes with a face value of N50,000.

He further confessed to having spent ₦10,000 out of the fake notes, remaining the ₦40,000 that was recovered from him.

The suspect will be arraigned and prosecuted once investigations are concluded.

Say No To Creating Counterfeits!

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