Pension Scam Investigation: Senate Threatens to arrest Budget Office DG

The Senate Joint Committee on Establishment, Public Service, States and Local Governments has threatened to arrest the Director-General of the Budget Office, Bright Okogu over his failure to honor an invitation to testify before the committee on the ongoing Pension Fund Mismanagement investigation.

Recent investigations by a Pension Special Task Force and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have revealed that there was gross impropriety in the management of the Pension Funds with over a hundred billion Naira embezzled by government officials responsible for managing the Funds. In an instance it was discovered that a single government official had over 100 bank accounts in a single bank to serve as a conduit for his corrupt practices.

Speaking on Bright Okogu’s failure to testify before the panel, the Chairman of the Senate Committe eading the investigation, Aloysius Etok, said, “The Senate has power to invite any individual or corporate institution in any part of the country to facilitate its function.”

“We will not hesitate to order his arrest if he fails to come to the hearing tomorrow today. The Clerk of this committee should please communicate this to him.”

The Committee has only issued new summons for two former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and the Minister of Housing, Mrs Amal Pepple to appear before it today.

Two former Heads of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye and Professor Afolabi Oladapo have also testified before the panel.