The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) may have achieved all its mandate.
PTAD was created for the pensioners under Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS).
The directorate has four operational departments which are Police Pension, Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension, Civil Service Pension and Parastatals Pension.
PTAD has kept to its promise that the era of bringing out aged pensioners for field verification is over with the launch of an online platform called “I Am Alive’’ Confirmation solution.
The platform was created to ease pensioners’ stress from field verification which was stressful because they have to travel long journey to the venue of the verifications.
But with the launch of the I Am Alive, pensioners can confirm their aliveness in the comfort of their home or neighbourhood.
The I Am Alive Confirmation (IAAC) solution is designed for DBS pensioners to easily confirm their aliveness from the comfort of their homes using either a smartphone or a computer system device that has internet access.
Some of the benefits of the solution are: Government funding of pensions would be accurately estimated as deceased pensioners are immediately removed from the payroll, funding for field verifications would be completely eliminated.
Pensioners are no longer required to travel long distances with the attendant stress, risk of traveling and inconvenience to attend verification outside their domain.
PTAD has made tremendous effort to improve service delivery to meet the expectations of our esteemed pensioners. They conducted the Pensioner satisfaction survey to get first-hand information on service delivery improvement.
PTAD has over the years successfully conducted various verification exercises well, which has helped to cut cost and fish out ghost pensioners.
PTAD has paid 48 months out of the 84 ( balance 36 months) of Inherited Unfunded Pension Liabilities to Nitel/Mtel pensioners, also to the Next of Kins (NoK) of deceased pensioners.
The Directorate has paid arrears arising as a result of the consequential adjustment to the pensions of the four operational departments in the Directorate. (The Civil Service, Parastatals, Police, and Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensioners) were paid.
In 2017, PTAD received directives from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to take over the management of pensions and severance benefit liabilities of ex-workers of some Defunct/Privatized agencies, including Delta Steel Company, NICON Insurance PLC, Savannah Sugar Company, NITEL/MTEL, Aluminum Smelter Company, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), among others.
In December 2021, PTAD had completely liquidated the inherited pension liabilities for New Nigerian Newspapers, the Nigerian Re-Insurance Corporation, made one-off payments to Savannah Sugar, the Aluminum Smelter Company beneficiaries and their next of kin and also Nigerian Aviation handling Company beneficiaries and their Next of Kin and had settled them.
Ex-workers of Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), the Ex-workers of the privatized agency were paid in December 2020.
NAHCO Ex-workers of the one-off payment of their final entitlements. The payments were made in 12 batches.
This was in fulfilment of the Federal Government’s efforts to sustain and improve the welfare of Pensioners under the DBS.
PTAD has partnered with relevant stakeholders to curb pension fraud and over the years some the fraudsters has been apprehended and prosecuted by law.
The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, in an interview with NAN, expressed joy for the achievements the Directorate has made and commended the president and federal government for their support.
“PTAD is grateful to the past President and that the new President will move mountains for pensioners.
Since the inception of APC administration made payment of pensions an un-written first line charge.”
Ejikeme said that the commitment of PTAD to the welfare of the pensioners remains sacrosanct, and we shall continue our meetings and engagement with the various Pension Unions to ensure quality service delivery.
She said that the government has achieved a lot, the pensioners under DBS can testify to this.
Dr Stephen Fatunsi, the Chairman, Southwest Zonal Congress of Pensioners Federal College of Education (FCE) Section, commended the Directorate for all its achievements.
A 75 year old pensioner, Mr Wale Bolaji, said this administration has done well, starting from Barr. Sharon Ikeazor who built a well structured Directorate and Ejikeme have continued with the structure.
“In the days of walk in verification, we were treated well given a well conducive environment and entertainment while waiting for your turn.
“And with the recent development of online verification it has made life easier for us, I am very only and can not move around freely so am happy about this,” he said.
Bolaji commended this administration for constantly paying them their money and implored the incoming administration to follow the road map and do better.
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