The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD)

  • We are not owing pension arrears – PTAD

    We are not owing pension arrears – PTAD

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate ((PTAD) has said that it has not holding to any money meant for the payment of 33 percent pension increase for pensioners in the country, saying all monies released by the government has been duly utilised for the purpose it was meant for.

    In a statement from the management, PTAD said it was not in arrears in the payment of pension to pensioner under the Defined Benefit Scheme especially those in the Civil Service, Parastatals, Police and Customs, Immigration and Prison pensioners as the Directorate pays monthly pension as at when due;

    The statement said further that the balance of the outstanding 33% arrears has been included in the total pension liability established and reconciled by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Pension Liabilities which was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has been drawn to certain misinformation making the rounds concerning the payment of 33% arrears to pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

    “These unfounded stories suggested that the Federal Government had released various sums of money to PTAD for the settlement of 33% pension arrears to pensioners and that PTAD is holding on to the money. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    “Ordinarily, the Directorate wouldn’t have responded to these unsubstantiated claims. But having noticed that if these rumours were allowed to continue unabated, they are capable of exposing our pensioners to criminal scams perpetrated by pension fraudsters. It has, therefore, become imperative on the Directorate to set the records straight on the issue of 33%, and indeed other pension related matters.

    “PTAD is not in arrears in the payment of Monthly Pension to Civil Service, Parastatals, Police and Customs, Immigration and Prison pensioners. The Directorate pays monthly pension as at when due;

    “PTAD does not operate any account outside the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and all payments are made via GIFMIS or Remita, depending on the mode of release, as the Directorate is 100% treasury funded;

    “PTAD has settled the 33% arrears for at least one year for each of the Pension Departments. The most recent payments made were to the Police (9 months) and to 22 treasury funded agencies, health institutions, universities and polytechnics which had hitherto not been paid anything out of the 33% arrears. The payment made to the latter group was for 12 months and brought them to par with other pensioners in their category;

    “The balance of the outstanding 33% arrears was included in the total pension liability established and reconciled by the Inter-ministerial Committee on Pension Liabilities which was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance (HMF). 

    The Executive Secretary of PTAD served as secretary of the Committee. The Minister of Finance is working tirelessly to ensure that funds are made available to settle these obligations which have been graciously approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Until then, we implore all pensioners to remain calm and await the release and eventual payment of the balance.”

  • PTAD appoints five new directors

    PTAD appoints five new directors

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate ( PTAD ) has appointed five new directors for better service delivery of its mandate.

    PTAD’s Deputy Director, Corporate Communications Emma Okondo, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Okondo listed the appointees to include, Mrs Ndidi Egwuatu as Director, Civil Service Pension Department and Mrs Olufunmilayo Onafowokan, Director, Pension Support Service Department.

    Other officers appointed as substantive directors are  Babagana Kaigama, Director Police Pension Department, Charles Wali, Director, Parastatals Pension Department and Sulayman Yusuff-Shelleng, Director, Corporate Services Department.

    He stated that the appointment of the officers which took immediate effect, was to re-energise the organisation.

    Egwuatu, who has a Masters’ degree in International Law and Diplomacy was until her appointment an acting Chief Risk Officer of the directorate.

    Onafowokan, a Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria has had various experiences in financial control and auditing in the private sector and educational service.

    Okondo said that PTAD was committed to fulfilling its responsibilities to pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

  • Edo Pensioners hail Governor Obaseki

    Edo Pensioners hail Governor Obaseki

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Edo State Council, Comrade Pullen Noruwa has commended Governor Godwin Obaseki’s effort on the recently concluded pensioners verification exercise by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), adjudging it as the best the country has had.

    Comrade Noruwa gave this remark on Wednesday when he led the executive members of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.

    He also expressed satisfaction at the hospitality of the process as participants were seen going home with extra packs of food, soft drinks and other items.

    Noruwa said the verification process was well organised and the welfare of pensioners was given due consideration during the process.

    The Chairman, however, appealed to the state government to review the state of the Edo State Pension Board by creating a Pension Bureau as alternative means to settle pension issues especially in cases of pensioners not able to access their files.

    Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki admonished pensioners to remain confident, adding that his administration is determined to pay all arrears owned to them.

    “I want to assure you that l am on your side. We have to make you comfortable; that is the service we owe you, as a government, having served the state.”

    The governor, who expressed optimism that the rest of the process would be successful, said the only way to nip a future crisis in the bud that may originate from non-payment of pension was to key into the contributory pension fund to grant the pensioners access to their pension fund as soon as they are retired.

    In addition, he noted that action was being taken to ensure the 2014 and 2015 pensioners’ arrears were settled, saying that the Heads of Local Government Administration had been instructed to generate revenue to settle their current obligations instead of relying on a bailout from the federal government.

    He also disclosed that pensioners would adequately be captured to ensure that the government addresses the issues of pension harmonisation.

  • Reforms will ease pensioners’ hardship, says Buhari

    Reforms will ease pensioners’ hardship, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured that his administration’s reforms will ensure that Nigerians who spent the productive years of their lives serving the nation will not experience difficulties in getting their pensions.

    He gave the assurance at a meeting with Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, the Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) at the State House, Abuja.

    He directed a speedy completion of the ongoing nationwide verification of pensioners.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stressed that the exercise was necessary because the success of the administration’s goal of putting in place an efficient pension scheme hinged on the availability of a reliable database.

    In a presentation to the President, Barrister Ikeazor said the PTAD management was determined to restore dignity to pensioners by protecting their funds and paying their entitlements promptly.

    The Executive Secretary also said that in line with the anti-corruption posture of the current administration, the PTAD has put measures in place to ensure accountability, compliance with regulations and zero-tolerance for corruption.

  • ‘Why PenCom removed over 3,000 police pensioners’

    ‘Why PenCom removed over 3,000 police pensioners’

    As the row over the removal of 3,326 police pensioners from database continues, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has said the names of the affected police officers were removed from the pension list to show credibility to its work.

    In a statement signed by its spokesman, Steve Omanufeme,  the Directorate, an arm of Pension Commission(PenCom), said credibility informed the decision to carry out such activity.

    The statement read: ‘The removal of unverified police pensioners from PTAD’s payroll, is to clean up and give credibility to our police pensioners’ database after a nationwide verification in which the affected pensioners did not turn up to be captured.

    The removal of the affected names, as well as the call for supplementary verification is necessary to ensure pension is paid to genuine pensioners only. The question is how long are we supposed to pay this group of people who have not turned up to be captured after repeated calls for them to do so?”

    Omanufeme said the names of the 3,326 police pensioners will be re-instated after they have been duly verified and their biometrics captured.

    It urged the affected workers to come out and be captured during the supplementary verification exercise billed to start soon.

    The Directorate said before  December 2014 and March 2015, it went to all the geopolitical zones to verify and capture all police pensioners, noting that the exercise was conducted in 18 cities across the country with adequate publicity on national radio, television and print media as well as SMS messages to the targeted pensioners.