The Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari, who since the inception of his administration, has placed payment of pensions on first line charge.
The PTAD Executive Secretary, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, expressed the directorate’s appreciation at the North-East stakeholders engagement forum in Yola on Monday.
Ejikeme said that the commitment of PTAD to the welfare of pensioners remained sacrosanct.
The executive secretary assured that PTAD would continue to hold meetings and other engagements with various pension unions to ensure quality service delivery.
“We also appreciate the support of our able supervisory Minister, Accountant General of the Federation and all our other major stakeholders who have made the modest successes achieved by PTAD possible.
“It is our prayer that the President-Elect will be as favorably disposed towards the pensioners of the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) as the administration of President Muhammadu Bubari has been.
“We cannot afford to go back to the time when the DBS pensioners were owed months of pension arrears and their needs pushed to the back-burner,” she said.
Ejikeme further said that PTAD has conducted series of activities since last stakeholders forum in January 2022 to improve the welfare of pensioners in the country.
According to her, the directorate provided a six-month grace period for every department and their pensioners to complete their “I Am Alive Confirmation” solution.
She said that the period for police pensioners is slated for April 14 to Oct. 13, 2023; Custom, Immigration and Prison June 1 to Dec. 31, 2023; Civil Service July 1, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024, and parastatals Aug. 1, 2023, to Feb. 28, 2024.
The North-East Zonal Head, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Hajiya Sa’adatu Abubakar, commended PTAD for ensuring prompt payment of pensions.
Abubakar also urged the incoming administration to give welfare of workers and pensioners the desired attention.
The Deputy National President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Alhaji Muhammad Halliru, acknowledged that PTAD is doing well for pensioners.
Halliru however called for improvement where necessary to ease the lives of pensioners in the country.
