Pensioners led by Vice President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Mr Ayo Kumapayi, have praised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, especially through the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), for prompt payment of entitlement of retirees, like never before.
Kumapayi gave this commendation at the South-West Stakeholders’ Forum, organized by the PTAD, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Aside from prompt payment of pensions, Kumapayi also lauded the federal government for implementing 33 per cent consequential increase in pensions whereas several state governments have failed to implement.
Kumapayi also praised for the current payment system where retirees get paid as and when due, directly in their account, while lauding Dr Chioma Ejikeme-led PTAD for stamping out ghost pensioners as well as fraudsters.
Kumapayi assured the PTAD that the NUP was committed to recovery of all pension assets to enable the Federal
Government to have more funds to pay pensioners.
Emphatically, Chairman, South-West Zonal Congress, NUP, Dr Stephen Fatusi remarked that the Buhari administration was the best so far as it concerns attending to the lot of pensioners.
He described as worthy of commendation the fact that the Buhari administration and twice effected a 33 per cent increase in pensions, implemented consequential adjustment in entitlements of pensioners as well as cleared backlog of pensions.
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Fatusi said: “In all fairness, God and man, let people say all they like about President Muhammadu Buhari, the Buhari administration has been the best so far as it concerns a lot of pensioners.
“Over the years, you heard of pensioners dropping dead while queueing for their entitlements. As soon as Buhari assumed office, maybe because he is an old man, he appreciates the lot of the pensioners, he sympathises with their lot.
“The information we got is that he gave a marching order to his subordinates who are in charge of pensions to pay pensioners as and when due. He told them not to joke with pensions and they have been paying.”
Other pensioners to include Mrs Florence Ademoyegun, Mr Koyede Sule and Mr Rasaq Salami were also full of gratitude to the Buhari administration for prompt payment of pensions.
The pensioners also lauded the PTAD leadership especially the new “I AM ALIVE” pensioners’ verification and confirmation web-based platform which they described easy and stress-free.
Speaking, Executive Secretary, PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme explained that once the verified pension number is entered into the “I AM ALIVE” platform, the PTAD is able to confirm pensioners being alive, well and eligible to receive pension.
In the meantime, she said those pensioners not yet on the “I AM ALIVE” platform will not be removed from payroll but noted that the unions of pensioners will be notified when it will be time to remove people from the payroll.
In her speech, Ejikeme disclosed that PTAD had completed the payment of outstanding inherited liabilities due to ex-workers of defunct agencies: Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (126 months of inherited liabilities) and New Nigeria Newspaper Limited (219 months of inherited liabilities).
She added that PTAD had settled a significant portion of the outstanding inherited liabilities due to ex-workers of three defunct agencies: NICON Insurance, Delta Steel Company Limited and NITEL/MTEL.
In December 2021, she noted that the PTAD implemented the approved 9.7 per cent pension increment for pensioners of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and paid accrued arrears totalling N6.9billion.
Among others, she added that the PTAD had completed payment of 24 months arrears to the parastatals pension department, the Customs, Immigration, Prisons Pension department and the Police Pension department.
On pension assets recovery, Ejikeme disclosed that the PTAD had fully recovered the pension assets of insurance underwriters: AIICO Insurance Plc and African Alliance Insurance Plc.
She described the repatriation of £26,505,862.97 from the United Kingdom, which were pension funds under investment with Crown Agents Investment Management Limited, the United Kingdom as the icing on the cake of its pension assets recovery efforts.
Ejikeme, however, noted that the repatriated funds were used to settle the liabilities of the defunct agencies.
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