Ilorin – Some pensioners in the ongoing verification of retirees from Customs, Immigration and Prison services have expressed hope that the exercise would eliminate ghost pensioners.
They stated this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Tuesday at the venue of the exercise organised by Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) for retirees from Kwara and Ekiti.
NAN reports that the three-day exercise was also aimed at eliminating duplication of payments; regularise anomalies of over payments and under payments; and update record of next-of-kin.
NAN also report that part of the objective of PTAD was to establish a credible and authentic database of pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
PTAD was established in August 2013 in compliance with the provision of section 30 (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 as amended in 2014.
The Directorate was charged with the responsibility of pension management under the Defined Benefit Scheme, (DBS) for pensioners who did not transit to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Pensioners who spoke to NAN described the verification exercise as a welcome development that would bring sanity to the scheme.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Mohammed Abdullahi, a retired Deputy Superintended of Immigration, expressed his satisfaction with the exercise, saying it was a good
development for retirees in the country.
Abdullahi explained that with PTAD electronic registration, issues of under payment would be resolved very soon and ghost workers will be eliminated.
Another Pensioner, Mr Philip Ajiboye, who retired from Customs, said the exercise would correct the anomalies in the system.
“With what PTAD is doing, every senior citizen will benefit from that because all their data will be electronically save and every short payment would be rectified in due time, “ he said.
Ajiboye, however, appealed to the Federal Government to take care of the retirees, stressing that the authorities should not allow their labours to be in vain.
Another retired Customs Officer, Mr Moshood Abdurrahman, said the verification exercise was a sign of hope and relief to retirees in the country.
The exercise was scheduled to take place in 13 centres across the country, including Kano, Sokoto, Lagos, Enugu and Kwara states. (NAN)