ABUJA – The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday said it aided seven widows to get the entitlements of their late husbands from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Mr Folu Olamiti, the Spokesman of the ICPC in a statement in Abuja, said the intervention of the commission had also facilitated the payment of entitlement to two other former members of staff of the corporation. The widows are Mrs Celestina Onyibor, Mrs Roseline Obiekwe, Mrs Comfort Okeke, Mrs Cordelia Ifechelobi, Mrs Rose Okoye, Mrs Teresa Ani and Mrs Roseline Agu. Olamiti said the that two former members of staff whose pension entitlements had lingered for a long time before ICPC intervention are Ogbe Valentine and Onwu Charles. He said that the intervention of the ICPC followed a petition filed by the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Enugu chapter, on behalf of the seven widows against NRC. “The Civil Liberties Organisation had filed a petition dated Sept. 8, 2011 challenging an alleged claim that officers
of NRC had stolen the money meant for the pension of their late husbands.
“In the petition, the CLO further claimed that all the widows were forcefully ejected from official quarters allocated to their late husbands. “All efforts by the CLO to persuade the management of the Eastern District of Railway Corporation, Enugu to pay the widows fell on deaf ears,” he said.
Olamiti said that the confirmation of the payment followed a letter to the ICPC by Mrs R.A Oshunmakinde, Acting Director of Pensions, NRC that N2.2 million had been released as pension arrears to the seven widows and two former members of staff. (NAN)
