No failed bank staff can become PENCOM DG – Senate

CHAIRMAN Joint Committee on Pension Act Amendment Bill, Senator Aloysius Etok has said that the committee would not recommend anybody that was involved in any failed financial institution in the country in its consideration for the position of Director-General of National Pension Commission, PENCOM.
Senator Etok said the committee would only recommend somebody that had gained on-the-job experience in pension management with good character and reputation.
The position of the Committee on the expected qualifications of aspirants interested in the PENCOM D-G post may have punctured the alleged high-level plot to unseat the acting Director General of the commission Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.
The Joint Committee review panel had at the weekend said it might consider the 15 years cognate experience  earlier proposed by the presidency in the pension Act amendment  bill already with the National Assembly.
Senator Etok while reacting to the years of experience for the would-be DG of the commission said that the panel may further consider the reduction in the proposed years of experience to include persons of  good character and experience in pension management in the country.
He said, “I will be the last person to consider some body without experience in pension to head PENCOM, even if the executive send your name I will not consider that person, people who have worked in failed institution, what can they contribute to pension, I will not consider someone like that. We are talking about cognate experience in character and track record.”
According to him the committee could recommend persons or person for the headship of the agency with less than 10 years experience provided he or she had a good track record and expertise to deliver adding that age and post qualification experience should not be the major consideration in the choice of Director General of the PENCOM.
The presidency had in the  amendment to the pension Act presented to the lawmakers proposed reduction in the post experience qualification from 20 to 15 years.
At a recent public hearing on the bill, stakeholders advised the committee to peg the years of experience at 15 to allow for more energetic and efficient person to run the agency.
The  National President of Federal Universities Pensioners Association Dr Ayuba Kura and Representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Kabiru Matazu in their separate submissions to the committee told the lawmakers to disregard the proposed 20 years experience by some persons seeking for change of guard in the agency.

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