Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s remarks linking Nigeria’s pension challenges to the Obasanjo administration, urging the Federal Government to focus on governance instead of blaming past administrations.Tinubu had accused Atiku of privatising government assets while leaving pensioners unpaid. In response on Friday, Atiku’s media office described the claim as “shadow chasing” by the APC-led government, stressing that every administration inherits both the assets and liabilities of its predecessor.
The statement said the Obasanjo-Atiku administration inherited an unfunded pension system with liabilities estimated at over N2 trillion, but addressed the crisis through the Pension Reform Act 2004, which introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme and established the National Pension Commission (PenCom).
Atiku’s camp argued that the reforms replaced a fragmented and inefficient pension system plagued by ghost pensioners and unpaid benefits, insisting the administration left behind a modern pension framework rather than unresolved liabilities.
Tinubu had accused Atiku of privatising government assets while leaving pensioners unpaid. In response on Friday, Atiku’s media office described the claim as “shadow chasing” by the APC-led government, stressing that every administration inherits both the assets and liabilities of its predecessor.
The statement said the Obasanjo-Atiku administration inherited an unfunded pension system with liabilities estimated at over N2 trillion, but addressed the crisis through the Pension Reform Act 2004, which introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme and established the National Pension Commission (PenCom).
Atiku’s camp argued that the reforms replaced a fragmented and inefficient pension system plagued by ghost pensioners and unpaid benefits, insisting the administration left behind a modern pension framework rather than unresolved liabilities.
