The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Pensioners

  • PTAD pays N2.6 billion as outstanding arrears to pensioners

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) said on Friday that it has paid about N2,608,455,504.24 (Two Billion, Six Hundred and Eight Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Four Naira, Twenty Four Kobo Only) to 103,710 Civil Service pensioners.

    The payment according to a statement from the Management of the company is the balance of the 33 percent pension increase to pensioners in the civil service which has dragged on for several years.

    The statement said that “the payment is the final tranche being made to Civil Service pensioners on the 6 months arrears of 33% pension increment and is in fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration’s commitment to pensioners’ welfare.

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    “It will be recalled that in July 2010, the Federal Government announced a 33% pension increase for pensioners. The Federal Government began the payment of this increment from January 2014 leaving arrears of 42 months outstanding. Out of the 42 months that was outstanding as at 2014, 24 months was paid in 2016, 6 months was paid in 2017, while 6 months was paid in November 2018.

    “The Directorate has now cleared the backlog of the 33% pension arrears of three main Departments of Civil Service Pension Department, Police Pension Department and Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department.

    The Directorate has also further assured that backlog of 33% arrears owed Parastatal Pensioners will be cleared in due course.

  • Pensioners seek support for FAAN

    The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch, has called for the implementation of a new passenger service charge being proposed by FAAN to meet the challenges of maintaining airports across the country.

    Last year, FAAN proposed a hike in passenger service charge for travellers on domestic and international flights.

    Though the authority did not state the new charge, passengers  pay N1,000 for domestic flights and passengers on international flights pay $50.

    In an interview in Lagos at the weekend, Comrades Rasaq Ope and Emeka Njoku, chairman and secretary, called on the Minister  of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to, as a matter of urgency, direct the implementation of the new passenger service charge to meet up with   economic realities.

    “We are aware of how much the private terminal is charging passengers and other customers and FAAN has not increased its passenger service charge in the last nine years. It is based on that, that we call for the implementation of new charges to enable them meet the growing challenges of airport maintenance.”

    They urged Sirika to direct  debtors of FAAN to start the settlement of debts owed the agency, adding that the minister has been too quiet on those owing FAAN, especially airlines and concessionaires.

    According to them, aviation should be given proper attention, especially with the inauguration of new terminals across the country.  They added that soon the revenue generated would not be able to take care of the overhead cost of the agency.

    They also disclosed that billions of naira was being owed FAAN by various concessionaires, airlines among others saying that the debts were crippling the operations of the agency.

    On the proposed carrying of firearms by aviation security personnel, NUP called for the creation of a special unit that would be in charge of firearms.

    While calling for the training and retraining of FAAN workers to meet the trend of operations, the pensioners condemned undue interference from politicians in the running of the organisation saying that it does not allow for the growth of the organisation.

    “We don’t want FAAN to collapse and the minster must act fast. We don’t need grammar because the Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika has failed in the past three years. We ought to have a new national carrier, maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities but nothing.

    “We thought as a professional that by now things would have changed in the aviation sector but nothing has changed because the minister has failed. Where is Bilateral Air Services Agreement BASA fund for the past six years?’’ the association asked.

    They called on the Federal Government to look into the stoppage of BASA fund and to let the Nigerians know what went wrong.

  • Retirees, pensioners to give party 100,000 votes

    Pensioners and retirees in Kwara State have promised to work for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in tomorrow’s and March 2 general elections.

    They also promised to give the party at least 100,000 votes.

    The Chairman of Concerned Retired Kwara State Civil Servants, Alhaji Mohammed Abioye, spoke yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, during an interaction with Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed.

    Abioye said: “It needs be mentioned that we have come together in order to join hands with other well-meaning Kwarans who have been working to put a stop to the downward socio-economic development of the state due to poor governance in all ramifications, especially since 2003 till date.

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    “We are concerned because this ugly trend has come about because the civil service, which is supposed to be the engine room of government, has been largely bastardised. The reason for this ugly trend is traceable obviously to poor service conditions, lack of respect and regards for the service and its personnel, both serving and retired.

    “We must not allow this ugly trend to continue. We need to work with other progressive-minded Kwarans to terminate the current political dynasty that is the major promoter of the various governments whose output has made our state the headquarters of poverty in Nigeria.

     

     

  • 300,000 neglected pensioners now on FG’s payroll

    About 300,000 people who worked in federal establishments but were disengaged without benefits mostly because their establishments were privatised, have been duly enlisted and are now drawing monthly pension.

    Executive Secretary of federal government’s Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Sharon Ikeazor, who disclosed this in the Adamawa State capital, Yola, added that the federal government pays this category of pensioners about N9 billion monthly pension through the PTAD.

    Ikeazor who visited Yola to oversee an ongoing verification exercise former workers of the Savannah Sugar Company, Numan, as well as to open the Yola office of PTAD and preside over a Northeast zonal meeting of pensioners organised by the PTAD, also disclosed that the PTAD is saving the federal government the sum of N4.9 billion annually as a result of the payroll cleanup it achieved through its civil service verification exercise.

    “During the privatisation exercise (of the Olusegun Obasanjo era), most of these outfits were sold liability-free to the companies that bought them. The liabilities were left for the federal government to shoulder. Remember we did verification for Delta Steel as well. Delta Steel was privatised in 2005 and the pensioners were left without payment, just like the Savannah Sugar Company which was sold also without provision for the pensioners.”

    Some of the other former federal establishments whose pensioners the PTAD has similarly rescued include Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, NICON Insurance Corporation, NITEL/MTel, and New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) Ltd. “We have carried out civil service pension in the six geopolitical zones. We placed over 100,000 (civil service) pensioners back on the payroll, that is those who were dropped off the payroll because of past maladministration.

     

    We’ve also done the police pension where we put the war affected police officers on pension, those who had been long forgotten,” she said.

  • 300,000 neglected pensioners on FG’s payroll – PTAD

    About 300,000 pensioners who worked in federal establishments but were disengaged without benefits, mostly because their establishments were privatised without provision for such benefits, have been duly enlisted and are drawing monthly pension.

    The Executive Secretary of federal government’s Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) Sharon Ikeazor disclosed this in Yola, capital of Adamawa.

    She added the federal government pays this category of pensioners about N9 billion monthly pension through the PTAD.

    The PTAD is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Finance established to manage pensions for certain categories of federal pensioners.

    Ikeazor, who visited Yola to oversee an ongoing verification for former workers of the Savannah Sugar Company, Numan, also disclosed the PTAD is saving the federal government N4.9 billion annually as a result of the payroll cleanup it achieved through its civil service verification exercise.

    She told reporters: “During the privatisation exercise (of the Olusegun Obasanjo era), most of these outfits were sold liability-free to the companies that bought them.

    “The liabilities were left for the federal government to shoulder. Remember we did verification for Delta Steel as well.

    “Delta Steel was privatised in 2005 and the pensioners were left without payment, just like the Savannah Sugar Company which was sold also without provision for the pensioners.”

    Some of the other former federal establishments whose pensioners the PTAD has similarly rescued include Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, NICON Insurance Corporation, NITEL/MTel and New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) Ltd.

    Giving insights to categories of pensioners that PTAD caters to, the executive secretary said: “We have carried out civil service pension in the six geopolitical zones.

    “We placed over 100,000 (civil service) pensioners back on the payroll. That is those who were dropped off the payroll because of past maladministration.

    “We’ve also done the police pension where we put the war affected police officers on pension, those who had been long forgotten.”

    Speaking at the opening of the Yola PTAD office, located at the Federal Secretariat in Jimeta, Sharon Ikeazor said the office was set up to bring the services of PTAD close to the people.

  • Pensioners stage protest

    Nigeria Union of Pensioners ( NUP), staged a protest against nonpayment of their pensions for almost a year.  The placards  carrying protesters, mostly from the state civil service pension match through major streets of Makurdi.

    They sang solidarity songs calling on Governor Samuel Ortom to pay their pensions

    Some of the pensioners told The Nation that the protest was ongoing on in all the local government areas in the state to draw the attention  of government to the plight of the pensioners

    At press time the pensioners were matching towards Government House Makurdi in  their numbers.

  • Oyo pays 81 pensioners N204m gratuities

    A new set of retirees on Thursday received N204 million cheques for their gratuities in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, bringing total gratuities payment by the state government for the year 2018 to over N1.5 billion.

    A total of 81 civil servants and teachers across all grade levels who retired in 2012 received the sum of N204, 235,185.06k as gratuities.

    While presenting the cheques to beneficiaries at the old Ministry of Establishment and Training, State Secretariat, the Head of Service in the state, Mrs Olawumi Ogunesan, said the payment was another demonstration of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners who sweat daily to ensure that government meets its obligations to the society.

    Ogunesan, who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs Adejoke Eyitayo, assured that the government would continue to pay gratuities based on merit.

    She added that government was making efforts to ease the pains of the pensioners in the state, stressing that the disbursement was done to
    make life easier for the senior citizens, who had served the state meritoriously.

    While advising beneficiaries not to venture into any business in which they do not have adequate knowledge, Ogunesan urged those who are yet to receive theirs not to lose hope. She pointed that the government was working hard to meet their expectation.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Kazeem Mudathir thanked Governor Abiola Ajimobi for releasing the huge sum as in spite of paucity of funds. He also commended the government for following the procedure laid down in selecting beneficiaries.

    The state had disbursed over N1 billion last year for the same purpose, bringing smile to the faces of retirees.

  • Pensioners praise Ambode

    The Lagos State Primary School Teaching and Non-Teaching Pensioners Chairman, Comrade Adekoya Samuel has praised Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for his supports to the well-being of retired septuagenarians in the state Basic Education Sector.

    Speaking in Lagos at the Septuagenarians Welfare Package Programme organised by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), Comrade Adekoya noted that since he assumed office, SUBEB had been consistent in its efforts to the well-being of the retired septuagenarians.

    He said the occasion provided the retirees the time to fellowship with one another, give thanks to God in addition to other benefits like the health talk, gifts items and merriment which the Board provided yearly.

    In his remarks, the SUBEB Chairman, Dr Ganiyu Oluremi Sopeyin said the occasion was a testimony that the Board would not relent in its efforts to honour highly devoted septuagenarians who had served the state meritoriously.

    He said the Board cherished their invaluable contributions made towards the development of the education sector, stressing that the Board equally appreciated their devotion to duty, integrity and excellent interpersonal relationship while in service.

    Apart from appreciating retired septuagenarians, Sopeyin said the Welfare Package Programme also encourages those still in service that the government would not forget them after retiring.

    Sopeyin pledged that the Board would continue to articulate policies that would enhance the welfare of its workforce in addition to improving the capacity of its serving members of staff through regular training.

    The idea to celebrate the septuagenarians began in 2009 when the Board felt that Officers who had attained the age of 70 years and above deserved to be appreciated.

    Two hundred and sixty retirees took part in this year’s event.

  • Pensioners hail Buhari 

    Some retirees, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS), have written to President Muhammadu Buhari, applauding his administration as the best they have seen in 14 years of the pension scheme.

    In a letter dated December 10, 2018, signed by the Chairman of the union, Comrade Sylva C. Nwaiwu, the pensioners said they were registering their “unanimous acknowledgement and commendation of the good performance” of the administration in the Contributory Pension Scheme sector in particular, and Nigerian Pension Industry in general.

    A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the union disclosed that the consensus was reached during the union’s 3rd Post-inaugural Congress/Interactive Session with the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) held last month in Maitama, Abuja.

    Distancing itself from partisan politicking, NUPCPS said the union was made of “elder statesmen and women who must stand for the truth, no matter whose ox is gored,” adding: “We owe no one any apology for expressing the truth we know about the good works of your administration.”

    The union said further: “Your administration inherited huge pension liabilities as a result of the excesses and recklessness of the previous administration which mismanaged pension funds meant for the payment of retirement benefits. Nevertheless, your contribution in just a few years in office is one of the best we have seen in the 14 years of the existence of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in our nation.

    “Your insight, determination, political will and commitment as demonstrated in the release of bailout funds to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerian workers/pensioners is unequalled and highly appreciated by the union and other stakeholders.”

    The union urged President Buhari to “complete the good work you have started” by authorizing  additional bailout to clear the outstanding backlog from last year.

  • PTAD pays N6.3b to parastatals, pensioners

    No less than N6.3 billion has been paid to parastatals and civil service pensioners by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

    The amount, being six months arrears, is a 33 per cent pension increment, which covers 101,393 civil service pensioners on all grade levels and 76,310 parastatals pensioners across 186 agencies.

    PTAD Executive Secretary,  Sharon Ikeazor, who made this known in Abuja, during the week, noted that pensioners’ welfare was a priority for the present administration.

    The PTAD had earlier settled the inherited backlog of the 33 per cent pension arrears of the Customs, Immigration and Prisons as well as Police pensioners in 2016 and 2018.