September 11, 2024

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Africa's Media Giant
Exclusive
Breaking News

1 Group drums support for FGs plan to privatise refineries

2 FG committed to independence of auditor-general’s office – Tinubu

3 FCTA, GAIN sign MoU on access to affordable, nutritious food

4 FG, stakeholders synergise to boost poultry production

5 Eguavoen says report of quitting false

Economy/Business

Why we staggered our online verification- PTAD

By Francis Onyeukwu
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) says staggering “I am Alive Confirmation Solution” for pensioners’ verification is to avoid network failure.
Dr Chioma Ejikeme, Executive Secretary, PTAD, gave the explanation at the South-East Stakeholders Engagement Forum in Awka.
Ejikeme said the agency came up with the “I Am Alive Confirmation Solution”,  to transit from manual to automated system of verification.
According to her, for efficient and effective delivery, and prevention a heavy traffic on the website, PTAD has staggered the use of the Confirmation Solution as follows.
“Police Pensioners (April 14 to October 13, 2023), Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensioners (June 1 to December 31), Civil Service Pensioners ( July 1 to January 31, 2024) and Parastatals Pensioners; August 1 to February 28, 2024”, she said.
She urged pensioners to note the scheduled dates as they concern their respective departments.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by pensioners and Stakeholders from Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra.
Ejikeme, who reviewed the activities of the agency since she took over four years ago, said PTAD had achieved a lot in 10 years of its establishment.
“No pensioner who is alive should be left out of this very critical and important exercise that would determine a pensioner’s eligibility to continue to receive pension.
“Our resolve is to ensure that no eligible pensioner is left out. PTAD wishes to inform all our pensioners in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom, that a survey is being carried out by the Directorate to ascertain the number of pensioners in those countries,” she said.
She advised pensioners living in those countries to visit the PTAD website and take part in the survey, saying “they should log on to our website – www.ptad.gov.ng to access the link for the survey”.
Chief Godwin Abumisi, President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), commended the transformational leadership of PTAD, saying that pensioners are better treated now than before.
Abumisi particularly praised the “I Am Alive Confirmation Solution” initiative by PTAD, noting that the policy has reduced the sufferings of pensioners.
Mrs Nneka Obiamulu, a director in the agency, said there was a lot of mistrust and aggression in the way pensioners related with pension managers, but said that much has improved.
She noted that the huge debt owed pensioners due to challenges in the verification and profiling of pensioners before the establishment of the agency have been resolved.
“We have visited more than 800 pensioners who are incapacitated in their homes and hospitals and our plans is to continue to improve,” she said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Economy/Business

NASS to curb pension administration challenges– Sen. Shekarau

By Nana musa
Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, says the National Assembly is working with stakeholders to address Nigeria’s pension administration challenges.

Shekarau disclosed this at the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) stakeholders’ forum organised in collaboration with Association of Retired War Affected Police Officers (ARWAPO).

He said that the business of the lawmakers was to make laws that would make things easier for the citizens.

“We are collaborating with all the pension agencies, in dialogue with the relevant government ministries and agencies including Ministry of Finance, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and all other concerned.

“We are addressing outstanding issues with pension administration and plight of pensioners,” he said.

The lawmaker commended PTAD over the stakeholders meeting and its constant engagement with people at the grassroots to listen to their problems and find solutions.

Shekarau advised pensioners to always liaise with the leaders of pensioners’ unions to make their complaints known and to take up their demands with PTAD to minimise their challenges.

“There can not be a time when there will be no complaints because we are dealing with human beings; sometimes it is not the fault of the agencies,” he said.

However, the President of ARWAPO, Mr Mathew Udeh, lamented the existence of some challenges and the stress their members were subjected to before being paid.

Udeh said that sometimes the pensioners were asked to produce some documents used when they were paid in 2006 and 2007, the voucher they signed or the cheques they were given.

“It is difficult for us to produce these documents because it is such a long time,” he said.

Udeh, who proffered some solutions to the pensioners’ problems, appealed to the directorate to help solve the challenges quickly.

He said that some pensioners had been paid their arrears while some were yet to be paid, adding that those who have been paid should be placed on monthly pension payment.

He, however, thanked the organisers of the programme and commended the effort of the directorate in its quest to meet their needs.

Economy/Business

PTAD pays N954m gratuity, pension arrears to 414 police pensioners

By Nana Musa
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) says it paid gratuity and pension arrears to 414 Association of Retired War Affected Police Officers (ARWAPO) amounting to over N954 million.

The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, made this known at a stakeholders’ forum with ARWAPO in Enugu State on Thursday.

Ejikeme said that death benefits were paid to 145 Next of Kin (NoK) of the deceased pensioners amounting to over N149 million.

She explained that the retired war affected police officers were set of members of the Nigerian police force that took sides with the state of Biafra during the Nigeria Civil War and were dismissed in 1971.

Ejikeme said that they were later pardoned and granted amnesty by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 2000.

She said that in a bid to bring pension administration to the doorstep of the pensioners, PTAD periodically engages stakeholders to update them of the directorates past and ongoing activities.

Ejikeme said that also allowed the organisation the opportunity to interact with the pensioners one on one with a view to serve them better.

She said that the directorate was currently reviewing and computing all pending ARWAPO pensioners complaints in order to payroll them monthly for pension, payments of arrears and payment of NoK.

She also stated that the provision of documents by ARWAPO members required for qualification for benefits computation and payment had been a challenge.

“Meetings such as the one we are having today provide the opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas, provision of clarity regarding grey areas and information dissemination.”

The executive secretary noted that the meeting provided another opportunity for continuous discussion with ARWAPO members on the way forward, getting mandatory requirements for the remaining pensioners to ensure their benefits were paid.

“This is a very potent indication of the importance, seriousness and commitment the present administration attaches to the wellbeing of our senior citizens,” she added.

Ejikeme said that in spite of the COVID-19 challenges the directorate had been making progress in addressing pensioners issues and restoring hope, dignity and a decent living to a Defined Benefit Scheme Pension.

General News

PTAD resumes verification of pensioners

By Nana Musa
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) on Wednesday said it has resumed the pensioners verification exercise previously postponed.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Gbenga Ajayi, PITAD’s Head of Corporate Communications  in Abuja on Wednesday.
The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the verification exercise was earlier scheduled for Jan. 18.
Ajayi said the verification would now commence from Feb. 17 to 23 at the directorate’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said it was for pensioners who had already submitted their documents for consideration and those invited to be verified.
 
Ajayi said the continuous in-house verification at the head office and Lagos regional office would resume immediately after the mop-up exercise.
 
He said that pensioners who were yet to submit their documents for consideration should do so now. 
 
“They can submit their documents at PTAD Headquarters in Abuja, PTAD State Offices or scan the documents and send via email,” he said. 
 
He urged the pensioners to also bear in mind that the country is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for adequate safety protocols.
 
Ajayi said that the exercise was strictly based on appointments only, following submission of documents, pensioners would be invited on a given date and time. (NAN)
error: Content is protected !!