Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) an NGO with the support of MacArthur Foundation held a Town Hall Meeting to Amplify the Fight against Corruption with a theme: “ACCOUNTABILTY ISSUES IN THE PAYMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS IN ENUGU STATE “held on 9th September 2023 at BON PLATINUM HOTEL, Enugu, Enugu State.
Participants were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, People with Disabilities (PWD’s), Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and as well as anti-Corruption agencies, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Pensioners association and labour leaders. Also in attendance, the Honorable Commissioner of Information, Enugu state.
At the end of the Town Hall meeting the following resolutions were made to fast tract the Fight Against Corruption through Community Participation as follows: –
- The Town Hall meeting has identified the disconnect between the governance and governed as a source of mistrust and lack of accountability in the administration on pensions to retirees in Enugu state.
- Participants called for active participation of stakeholders towards ensuring prompt payment of pensioner entitlements and arrears and commend the Enugu state governments for restoring hope of local government pensioners by the new administration.
- The Town Hall noted the greatest challenges of pension administration which leads to transactional corruption at all levels due to lack of openness and accountability tracking processes.
- The Town Hall Meeting identified challenges encountered by pensioners in other parastatals and urged the local government Chairmen to immediately start remittance to Local government pension board for prompt payment of pensioners and arrears.
- Participants advocate for continued enforcement of anti-corruption agencies, EFCC and ICPC mandates on preventive measures and enforcement to fight the menace.
- The meeting commended the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for their efforts and advocacy in the fight against corruption and urged governments to pay entitlements of pensioners as at when due.
- Participants frowned at social crimes and electronic crimes such as Cyber-crimes, trafficking of persons and other new faces of social corruption that are retrogressive to development. Also, participants call for social inclusion for PWDs and implementation of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI)
- Participants commended the Enugu state governments for setting up a committee of pension administration stakeholders and labour leaders to review the Pension Scheme in Enugu State with a view to adopt the Contributory Pension Scheme.
- The Town Hall meeting commended DREAM FM Radio, Enugu, and other media organisations; Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) and McArthur Foundation for their efforts in the fight against corruption.
This communique was made this day 9th September, 2023 at Enugu, Enugu State
ZUBAIR ABDURRAUF IDRIS
Executive Director/Project Manager
