PTAD commences NITEL/MTEL pensioners’ verification in N/East

Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has commenced the verification of more than 900 former employees of NITEL and MTEL in Gombe, North-East of the country, to clear their pension arrears.

The was contained in a statement by the management of the Directorate, made available to journalists at the Federal College of Education, Gombe, venue of the exercise.

According to the management, the directorate received authority to gather relevant information on the nature and status of outstanding pension liabilities of the pensioners from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).

It explained that the verification would go through some processes and auditing at various levels before payment would be made.

The verification, which commenced on January 15, would be carried out simultaneously in seven centres of Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Gombe, Abuja, Lagos 1 and Lagos 2 for eight days at each centre, and that pensioners were expected to come with all items specified in media advertorials.

“Next of kins should also come with documents specified in the adverts,” the statement read.

The Management said the directorate had collected phone numbers and contacts of sick pensioners, adding that it would do mobile verification for them by going to wherever they were to capture them.

Some of the pensioners who spoke to Journalists during the exercise commended the Federal government for taken steps to clear arrears of their retirements and pension benefits like other retired civil servants in the country.

Mangus Umaru Babasanda from Borno state who served as chief security officer in charge of NorthEast zone, said they have long waited for their retirements benefits and some have  already lost hope on it.

“This exercise started on Monday and I was verified today, we the pensioners are commending the Federal Government and PTAD for the way in which the exercise is being conducted is good because it was orderly and food is even served to us.

” My expectations is immediately after the verification we would get our benefits in sha Allah”.

Also speaking, the Gombe State Permanent Secretary in the Pension Bureau,  Zainab Haruna commended  officials of PTAD for organizing the exercise in an orderly manner.

“I am happy on how pensioners responded to the exercise, I was here on Monday and today Wednesday, pensioners have been cooperative”, she added.

She expressed hope that at the end of the verification, the pensioners will get their benefits so that their tension will calm down.