Abuja- The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), said the payment of arrears on the 33 per cent salary increment in 2010 would be paid to pensioners in December.
Its Director-General, Nellie Mayshak, made this known at the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mayshak said that the pensioners’ arrears were in respect of the increase in the salary of serving civil servants in 2010.
She said that PTAD was working closely with all relevant stakeholders, especially banks on ways to improve prompt payment of pension.
According to her, PTAD is trying to improve monthly pension payment electronically through Government Integrated Financial Management Information system (GIFMIS).
She said the organisation would introduce mechanism for tracking failed payments to pensioners and restored payment of monthly pension to genuine pensioners that were removed from the payroll.
The director-general said the PTAD had concluded plans to embark on verification and biometric data capture to eliminate ghost pensioners and duplicated payments.
“We want to establish a comprehensive, authentic and credible database of pensioners under the DBS which will ensure effective planning and management of pensions.
“This will go a long way to eliminate ghost pensioners, duplication of payments, eradicating anomalies such as over payments and short payments and also enrolling new pensioners,’’ she said.
According to her, plans are underway for the establishment of state offices, establishment of PTAD Call-Centre and update records of next of kin.
She explained that pensioners had so many issues that needed to be resolved, adding that they would work with necessary stakeholders to resolve these challenges.
Mayshak urged pensioners to ignore all fraudulent text messages and calls demanding them to pay some money before they could be paid.
She said PTAD was working with security and crime agencies to fish out those people sending such messages, adding that some of them were still in service.
“We are tackling reported fraud cases by collaborating with pensioners, unions and agencies such as EFCC and ICPC to get those perpetrating this act.
“It is unfortunate to note that some of this people defrauding pensioners are those in charge of pension payment and are among the workers, this is unfortunate.’’
Also, NUP President, Dr Abel Afolayan, appreciated the Federal Government for showing genuine commitment in implementing the long awaited 33 per cent pension increase.
“The PTAD should ensure the speedy payment of the arrears of the increment.
“It should also carry out its planned biometrics verification with all sense of commitment for a dependable database that would be able to stand the test of time,’’ Afolayan said. (NAN)
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