PTAD Clears 33 Percent Arrears Owed To Police Pensioners, Ikeazor

Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs Sharon Ikeazor.

By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos

***Poised To Introduce “I am Alive Status” To Curb Physical Presence Of Indisposed For Verification

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Executive Secretary, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, said that the directorate has completed payment of the 33 percent arrears to the Nigerian Police Pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme.

In a bid to Improve and sustain client focused services with emphasis on care and empathy, prompt resolution of complains and conducting verification exercises under conducive environment, PTAD has projected the ‘I am Alive Status’ to eliminate the physical verification processes for the incessant verification of the indisposed

In her remarks at the 2018 PTAD stakeholders forum held in Lagos, Mrs Ikeazor listed out myriads of achievements by the directorate which she attributed to the unwavering support of Leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari.

Ikeazor who gave reasons for prioritising the Police pensioners said “We have to prioritize the Nigerian police because they are the security sector. It is only fair that we put them first before us ordinarily citizens. We are working very hard to get the balances so we can clear all the outstanding balances in the civil services under pension department.”

She explained that with the completion of the civil service pension verification, all eligible pensioners under that category have been enrolled and payment of monthly pensions to them has since commenced and this has brought in over 19000 new pensioners who have either been denied the constitutional rights to pensions into the defined benefit scheme and majority of these pensioner were from the south west and north central.

“The directorate has also successfully verified, computed and put on monthly payroll nearly 5000 of pensioners of defunct and privatized agencies such as such as the delta steel, Nigerian reinsurance and NICON Insurance NITEL, we have verified and computed and we are reaching advanced stages on pay rolling them. We also made payments of monthly pensions and gratuity arrears to 15000 newly enrolled civil service pensioners.”

“In PTAD we prepare our payroll between the 10-15th of every month pending when funds are released to PTAD from the treasury”

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that payment of pensioners is prioritized over the payment of salaries, it saddens me when I get the alert for my salary but funds have not been released to PTAD for us to pay pensions.”

She assured the indisposed pensioners that soonest incessant verification will be done at the comfort of their houses “we will continue to attend to the sick through our mobile verification exercise until such a time when we eliminate the physical verification process and replace it with the I am Alive status so you do not need to come out ever again for the incessant verification, you can stay in the comfort of your home and use your mobile phone to authenticate that you are still alive for your pension payment”, she said

In furtherance, Ikeazor noted that the directorate has commenced the digitization of pension data with records with the view of maintaining the comprehensive database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS)

“We send their payments directly into their bank account from treasury single account without any interface with PTAD staff. PTAD does not operate any commercial bank account PTAD is 100 percent TSA compliant”

On Pension Fraud, the Executive Secretary said that in order to protect its pensioners from extortionist and fraudsters PTAD has adopted both proactive and reactive measures, intensifying its pensioners enlighten campaigns through the traditional media and also seek to take the operation to the places of worship as well as community centre to ensure wider coverage.

According to Ikeazor the directorate has strengthened its partnership with law enforcement agencies and other stake holders such as the EFCC, ICPC and the DSS in view of the eradicating pension fraud in Nigeria

“We have federal auditors from the federal autditor general office who work with us in computing and approving our payroll, we had to arrest one of them and hand over to EFCC for calling our pensioners and asking them to pay money before their pension will be computed so we spare no one.”

On corruption, the Executive Secretary said: “I cannot think of a better tool for bruiting the menace of corruption from our great country than through a guaranteed life of dignity in the aftermath of public service through an effective and efficient pension system. I then say that this preventive measure is much more effective than the traditional option of deterrence.”

Also Speaking, Acting Director General, National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Aisha Dahir-Umar who was represented by Mohammed Bello Umaru said that the commission would continue to ensure that regular verification of pensioners is done without difficulties.

He commended the Executive Secretary, PTAD and the Chairman, House Committee, Hon Hassan Shakaru on Pension for their effortless work towards payment of pensioners.

Shakaru assured that the members of the National Assembly especially the committee of pension will continue to work seriously to make sure we better the lives of pensioners

“There’s no need to say that we continue saying that we are improving infrastructure if we are improving infrastructure and not met the why should we allow our people to be dying while we are improving infrastructure as we are improving infrastructure we should also see to the plight of the Nigerian pensioners”.

In his address, Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints commission, Hon Chille Wenger Igbawua cited that from January to August 2018, the commission has received 1509 complaints 1290 has been resolved while 319 are been processed

He attributed the progress to reason the collaboration the commission have with PTAD, He also urged other agencies to take the complaints of Nigerians serious. “We deal with both high and low issues concerning the public , we don’t mind spending 100,000 to solve issues of 1000. The court is the last hope for the common man we make bold to say that the PCC is the last hope for common man that has no money to go to court. We deal with problems at no cost. ” he said.