The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) exercise on an expanded re-validation and re-computation has paved the way to review, compute and pay N6.2bn to 16,210 pensioners.
The Directorate in a statement explained that it was able to clear all pension arrears and resolve all complaints of short payments and outstanding gratuities for the Civil Service Pensioners and their Next of Kin (NoK) as a result of the project.
PTAD’s Head, Corporate Communications, Olugbenga Ajayi, said this was in fulfilment of the promise made by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme at the Directorate’s press conference in September, 2020, where she declared a state of emergency on the payment of outstanding entitlements to pensioners, and set-up an expanded project team to ramp up on the computation of benefits for all verified Civil Service Pensioners.
Dr Ejikeme explained that the project is aimed at reducing the number of complaints received by the Directorate on short payments, qualified pensioners not on payroll and other outstanding benefits to the pensioners and the next of kin of deceased pensioners.
During the exercise (September 2020 – March 2021), a total of 46,284 pensioners’ files were reviewed for end to end quality assurance which resulted in the payment made to the qualified pensioners as arrears of gratuity, monthly payments and one-off payments. Over 1,000 qualified pensioners not on payroll post verification have been put on the payroll and their arrears paid.
Dr. Ejikeme while assuring that by the second quarter of 2021, all issues relating to short payments, gratuity and other forms of arrears for civil service pensioners would be addressed, said the thrust of the project is continuous resolution of complaints that ensured that pensioners who have outstanding documents e.g., bank statements, BVN and other required documents were contacted so as to resolve their complaints effectively.
Besides, she said calls were put across to the affected pensioners and, letters were also written requesting them to forward such documents to the Directorate for the resolution of their complaints.
