Tag: PTAD

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has described as false, allegation in the news (not this newspaper) that it has failed to enrol the legacy pensioners of Bank of Agriculture (BoA) numbering about 830 to enable them get their benefits.

In a statement by the directorate yesterday entitled: “Our response to Sahara Reporters’ online publication entitled: Nigeria Bank Of Agriculture pensioners resort to prayers over unpaid 13 months’pension, move to organise sessions in mosques, churches”

The Directorate stated that contrary to what was published in the news by some so called “sources”, the Directorate carried out appropriate due diligence with the BOA towards gathering relevant data that could help to ascertain eligibility, computation and enrolment of retirees and has since enrolled and paid those found eligible.

The statement read: “It is important to note that the Directorate received the directive of the Federal Government to take over the management of the pensioners and related legacy pension liability of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), which was formerly operating as Nigeria Agriculture & Cooperative Bank, before its restructuring and transmutation to become BOA, through a letter from the Federal Ministry of Finance dated 07th September 2020.

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“Subsequent to this directive, and in line with its policy and procedure for take-over of new agencies onto the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, the Directorate carried out appropriate due diligence with the BOA towards gathering relevant data that could help to ascertain eligibility, computation and enrolment. Such information includes the nominal roll of eligible pensioners, approved salary structure, applicable pension increment and pension emolument, geographical distribution of pensioners, details of accrued unfunded pension liability (if any), audited account of pension funds, schedule of job grading peculiar to the agency and sample computation sheet to name but a few.   

“Consequently, the Directorate carried out verification of the eligible ex-workers between May and October 2022 in Lagos, Kano, Owerri and Abuja being the locations that was agreed to be most convenient for the pensioners to convene, based on the preliminary information about their geographical distribution that had been received earlier.The career and related records of the pensioners who showed up to participate in the verification exercise were subsequently reviewed, validated, computed and enrolled onto the pension payroll in batches with effect from December 2022.

“Additionally, pensioners who were enrolled for pension after the effective enrolment date of December 2022, were paid accrued arrears to cover the period from December 2022 to whatever month they got enrolled. All pension computation took cognizance of all approved and applicable pension increment, including the most recent Consequent Pension Adjustment (CPA) approved by the Federal Government to take effect from April 2019”.

The statement continued: “The nominal roll of eligible legacy pensioners received from BOA at the time of take-over contained a list of 826 pensioners. However, only a total of 651 pensioners showed up across the four locations where verification took place, for their career records, bank details and biometric records to be captured on our verification database.

“In effect a total of 175 pensioners have failed to show up to be verified by the Directorate, and in line with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014, establishing PTAD, and mandated the creation of a comprehensive database of eligible pensioners amongst others, verification is a mandatory requirement for any eligible pensioner to be enrolled for pension under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

“In view of the above explanation, ex-workers of BOA who are resident outside the country would need to physically present themselves for verification and biometric capture before they can be enrolled for monthly pension. This position, as guided by statute, is what has indeed been maintained for eligible ex-workers who wish to be enrolled for DBS pension managed by the Directorate, and not restricted to ex-workers of BOA alone, and this is in order to ensure that the previous ills and inefficiencies of the DBS scheme prior to the Pension Reforms of 2004 do not resurface again. It might interest the publishers of Sahara Reporters to note that diaspora pensioners, hitherto resident abroad, have responded positively to this directive to travel back to the country, to carry out their verification and promptly get enrolled onto the pension payroll and were paid any accrued arears due to them.

“Out of the 651 pensioners files (which includes one test file) that were verified, a total of; 572 pensioners have been enrolled and currently receiving monthly pension to date; 29 pensioners were found not qualified for pension, having served less than the required number of years to qualify for same, and notification letters have been dispatched accordingly; 24 pensioners were noted to have insufficient documents to conclusively ascertain their qualification and rightful pension, and have been duly notified to submit the required documents; 22 pensioners’ files are currently undergoing the mandatory review, validation before final enrolment onto the pension payroll; and three pensioners were noted to be currently on the DBS pension payroll of other Federal Government Agencies under PTAD, having taken up new employment post their earlier retirement, and thus their additional pension under BOA is being consolidated and paid together with their current pension.

“The Directorate has, from the time of enrolment of the BOA pensioners, and in line with its resolve to always listen and respond to its pensioner’s enquiry, petitions and complaints from all pensioners it manages under the DBS, continued to provide appropriate clarification and implemented corrections, where the observations made are found to be valid and credible. The Directorate has gone to this length to provide the facts of the issues involved in the verification, computation and enrolment of verified eligible pensioners of BOA, so as to give opportunity for all Stakeholders who may have come across the allegation published by Sahara Reporters on its online platform, the chance to understand and assess same fairly and objectively, without any sentiments, and to avoid the danger of relying on a single, one-sided narrative”.

The Directorate further disclosed that: “It is indeed obvious from the details provided in this write up, that the information published by Sahara Reporters is unfounded, far from the truth, and a concocted fabrication of the so called “sources” from which it claimed to have got its scoop. It is indeed unfortunate that the online journal did not make any effort to get the opinion of other Stakeholders such as the Bank of Agriculture, the Pensioners Association and indeed PTAD in consonance with the tenets of balanced & fair reporting that true journalism entails.  

“Finally, we would like to enjoin all Pensioners, the Pensioners’ Union and all other related Stakeholders, including the media, to continue to work with the Directorate towards ensuring that the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme of the Federal Government continues to benefit all eligible pensioners in a fair and equitable manner as envisioned by the founding fathers that initiated the reforms of the Pension Sector that led to the establishment of PTAD and brought in the positive changes and outcomes that have been achieved over the last ten years”, it added.  

PTD INSPECTOR RAPHAEL: Good day, I want to know if federal pensioners are included in the N35,000 President Bola Tinubu said should be paid to all federal government workers? If it is so, why are the states paying their pensioners? Are we not Nigerians that served this country? Please let me know?

PTAD: This enquiry should be directed to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

 ADESIYAN: My name is Adesiyan, I am one of the federal pensioner from Osun State. My problem is that I have tried to confirm my “I’M ALIVE” program for more 10 times. The message comes back as ‘Verification Failed and Faces do not Match’. What can I do to solve this problem?

PTAD: Pensioner contacted and advised to locate a cyber café to do fingerprint option.

ANONYMOUS:  Good day, I will like to know if my father is eligible for pension under Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). He was appointed on July 3, 1989 and was removed on April 27, 1999.

PTAD: No name and details provided.

SUNDAY: Good day, my name is Sunday from Cross River State. My father died since July 10, 2005 while in police service. He is late Inspector Okimba. His last place of service was Akwa-Ibom State. I went on to process his entitlement as his next of kin in 2015 at PTAD office Abuja where I was verified and captured with pensioner number. But up till date, I have not been paid. Kindly help me.

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PTAD: There was incomplete documentation at the time of verification. NOK is requested to come forward with these additional documents Enlistment form; Emolument form; Letter of Administration; ; Marriage Certificate; Introduction Letter from Last Command; Valid Means of Identification; NOK’s Birth Certification; and NOK’s BVN.

ABDULLAHI: I am Abdullahi from Jos Plateau State. My father was a member of staf of the Ministry of Defence, civilian units for 16 years before he died in 1995. I have attended various screening and verifications and the last one was in Jos in 2017. I have submitted all the required documents for the payment of gratuity and pension benefits as a Next of Kin (NOK), but all to no avail. In 2020, I was called from PTAD to submit some documents including bank account details which I did. From your publication of my case, PTAD is asking for is verification number which I scanned and sent since then. I hope Omobola will assist me.

PTAD: NOK should provide deceased name and Bank statement.

OJEDIRAN: My name is Ojediran, Sgt. (Rtd.) I  retired in 1994. I learnt that PTAD has harmonised the pension allowance of IGP, DIG, and AIG without doing same for CP to rank and file. Please what is the correct position on this? Thanks.

PTAD: The directorate is yet to receive any formal directive on the harmonisation from the relevant authority.

TIMOTHY: My name is Timothy from Oyo State. I have been on state and federal pension since October 25, 1993. I attended many verifications without asking for computation sheet which I have made all efforts to get from Ministry of Establishment, Ibadan.  At the last mop up, I submitted all documents but I was not cleared because of computation sheet. My monthly federal pension of N2,511.57 has been stopped since 2019 or thereabout. Kindly and for God’s sake return my due because ’I am ALIVE’ .

PTAD: We are unable to verify him as he doesn’t have a computation sheet and it is a requirement for SWFS pensioners; he should provide his computation sheet.

ADEWALE: Good day, my name is Adewale, Cyber Cafe Operator in Ado Ekiti, many retirees come to my business for ‘I am Alive verification. Many are successful but some were not after four to five attempts to take their picture before it lock. The finger verification is not working. Kindly help me to know how to go about the finger verification. Thank you

PTAD: We have contacted Mr. Adewale directly.  

SAMPSON: Good day, my name is Sampson, I am one of the retired downsized officer of Customs in 2007. We were under Customs, Immigration and Prison Pension Office (CIPPO) before PTAD took over. Before the takeover, I had pension arrears from 2007 to 2009 with CIPPO as was paid to my colleagues of equivalent ranks of level 09 step 13. Also my CONPASS arrears of gratuity amounting to N 1,582,182.36 were not paid to me as was paid to my colleagues. The arrears was prepared along with others and sent to AGF office {Deputy Director Special Duties} whose duty it was to pay.

PTAD: Mr. Sampson has been contacted directly. He is to send his Bank Statement for the period for resolution of the complaint.

OGUNDARE: I am Ogundare. I did my “I am alive” capture around May 29, this year. I was given a confirmation number. Later, by October, I was told to recapture again and since then all efforts to get recaptured proved abortive as network related issues are making it impossible. I hope my little pension won’t be stopped and also the process of going through the capture is stressful because network is frustrating.

PTAD: I am Alive confirmation is to occur every six months. So you will be due for another confirmation from November 29, 2023, six months after May 29, 2023.

CLIFFORD: My name is Clifford. I have no pension number. I would like to know if I am  qualified for pension at age 60 in 2005. I worked with RBNL(UAC Div) 1975-1978 and SCOA Motors 1978-1988 thinking I would travel abroad.

PTAD: UAC, SCOA Motors are private sector organizations. Mr. Fawehinmi should direct his question to the management of the organizations.

Do you have problems with your pension? Visit Facebook: omobola pension solution Or send SMS 08117340360

ADAJI: Hello The Nation Newspaper. PTAD through the newspaper of Wednesday June, 2022 page 26 confirmed that my gratuity has been computed for payment. I have been waiting patiently since then and nothing happened. Help me request that PTAD  to release my gratuity.

PTAD: Pensioner to provide verification slip to enable us investigate further

ADESIYAN: My name is Adesiyan, I am one of the federal pensioner from Osun State. My problem is that I have tried to confirm my “I’M ALIVE” program for more 10 times. The message comes back as ‘Verification Failed and Faces do not Match’. What can I do to solve this problem?

PTAD: Pensioner contacted and advised to locate a cyber café to do fingerprint option.

ANONYMOUS:  Good day, I will like to know if my father is eligible for pension under Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). He was appointed on July 3, 1989 and was removed on April 27, 1999.

PTAD: No name and details provided.

ABDULLAHI: I am Abdullahi from Jos Plateau State. My father was a staff with Ministry of Defence, civilian units for 16 years before he died in 1995. I have attended various screening and verifications and the last one was in Jos in 2017. I have submitted all the required documents for the payment of gratuity and pension benefits as a Next of Kin (NOK), but up to no avail. In 2020, I was called from PTAD to submit some documents including bank account details which I did. From your publication of my case, PTAD is asking for is verification number which I scanned and sent since then. I hope Omobola will assist me.

PTAD: NOK should provide deceased name and Bank statement.

OPADEJI: Good day, I thank you for the humanitarian job you are doing to correct anomaly arising from pension payment to pensioners. Please help me out of my predicament. My name is Opadeji. I retired from NITEL on January 21, 2001 on grade level 14 as senior manager. I participated in the NITEL verification exercise in 2001 and PTAD verification exercise in 2005 respectively. In 2005, when I was going for pensioners verification exercise, my documents were missing and I sworn to an affidavit on the loss of the documents. On the basis of the loss, PTAD placed me on grade level 9 and I sent complaint emails to PTAD several times but no action was taken on my complaint email. I therefore, took the risk of traveling to Abuja PTAD office when the original copy of letter of promotion was delivered to me by a good Samaritan. My salary was subsequently readjusted to grade level 14 but less than my salary before the verification exercise and also far less than the pension being paid to my colleagues on the same GL 14. Therefore, I sent many complaint emails but returned undelivered perhaps my emails have been blocked. Since then, I have accepted my fate. Now that I have the opportunity to forward my complaint through you to PTAD, I shall be grateful if my complaint can be treated with utmost concern. Thank you.

PTAD: Pensioner is on Payroll. Pensioner’s grade level readjusted from grade level 9 to 14 steps 10. He should provide Bank Statement from January 2018 to date for reconciliation.

TAUHID: My name is Tauhid, I am a State pensioner with Federal share. I retired as a Director on Grade Level 16 step 9. I retired in May 2009 and was verified in Niger State in December 2017. I have made several attempts to visit PTAD office at Maitama, Abuja. I have sent many people to facilitate the payment of my federal share of gratuity. I wrote in The Nation Newspaper of October 19, 2016 but all to no avail. I am still waiting. I have exercised patience and now I am a patient with two serious diseases. The Nation newspaper should help me so that PTAD can pay my PTAD: Federal Share of Gratuity. Thank you.

Pensioner to provide details of MDA, verification slip and Bank statement from December 2022 to date and has agreed to submit.

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FASHAKIN: Dear Omobola, I read your column concerning pension in The Nation Newspaper and I decided to contact you. My name is Fashakin, a pensioner from Nigerian Railway Corporation. After our retirement 17 years ago, the management of the corporation paid part of our entitlement and refused to pay the remaining. Several letters had been written and efforts made to get our legitimate right but they were rebuffed by the management. Then, we engaged the service of a lawyer who wrote to ask for our money.

The management replied our lawyer to forward the names and other information of his clients that they are owing. The names were sent to them, still the management refused paying. All these happened last year. The case was referred to EFCC in Jan 11 this year. We waited for EFCC to call us for investigation according to our lawyer, but when we did not hear from them, I went to their office on May 20, 2022 with a letter of reminder. The letter was refused, to my greatest surprise. I was told that EFCC declined to investigate the case of fraud brought against the railway management. Madam, I have the proof of all I have said.

I would be glad if you can step in and look into our case. Thank you.

PTAD: Pensioner did not state nature of complain. He did not respond to phone calls, he can contact PTAD directly.

OJEDIRAN: My name is Ojediran, Sgt.( Rtd). I retired in 1994. I learnt that PTAD has harmonised the pension allowance of IGP, DIG, and AIG without doing same for CP to rank and file. Please what is the correct position on this? Thanks.

PTAD: The Directorate is yet to receive any formal directive on the harmonisation from the relevant authority.

TIMOTHY: My name is Timothy from Oyo State. I have been on state and federal pension since October 25, 1993. I attended many verifications without asking for computation sheet which I have made all efforts to get from Ministry of Establishment, Ibadan.  At the last mop up, I submitted all documents but I was not cleared because of computation sheet. My monthly federal pension of N2,511.57 has been stopped since 2019 or thereabout. Kindlyreturn my due because ’I am ALIVE’ .

PTAD: We are unable to verify him as he doesn’t have a computation sheet and it is a requirement for SWFS pensioners; he should provide his computation sheet.

ADEWALE: Good day, my name is Adewale, Cyber Cafe Operator in Ado Ekiti, many retirees come to my business for ‘I am Alive verification. Many were successful but some were not after four to five attempts to take their picture before it locked. The finger verification is not working either. Kindly help me to know how to go about the finger verification. Thank you

PTAD: We have contacted Mr. Adewale directly.  

SAMPSON: Good day, my name is Sampson, I am one of the retired downsized officers of C             ustoms 2007. We were under Customs, Immigration and Prison Pension Office (CIPPO) before PTAD took over. Before the takeover, I had pension arrears from 2007 to 2009 with CIPPO as was paid to my colleagues of equivalent ranks of level 09 step 13. Also my CONPASS arrears of gratuity amounting to N 1,582,182.36 were not paid to me as was paid to my colleagues. The arrears was prepared along with others and sent to AGF office {Deputy Director Special Duties} whose duty it was to pay.

PTAD: Mr. Sampson has been contacted directly. He is to send his Bank Statement for the period for resolution of the complaint.

OGUNDARE: I am Ogundare. I did my “I am Alive” capture around May 29, this year. I was given a confirmation number. Later, by October, I was told to recapture again and since then all efforts to get recaptured have proved abortive as network-related issues are making it impossible. I hope my little pension won’t be stopped and also the process of going through the capture is stressful because network is frustrating.

PTAD: I am Alive confirmation is to occur every six months. So you will be due for another confirmation from November 29, 2023, six months after May 29, 2023.

CLIFFORD: My name is Clifford. I have no pension number. I would like to know if I am qualified for pension at age 60 in 2005. I worked with RBNL(UAC Div) 1975-1978 and SCOA Motors 1978-1988 thinking I would travel abroad.

PTAD: UAC, SCOA Motors are private sector organisations. Mr. Fawehinmi should direct his question to the management of the organiSations.

Read Also:PTAD: Resolving pensioners’ issues

RTD INSPECTOR RAPHAEL: Good day, I want to know if federal pensioners are included in the N35,000 President Bola Tinubu said should be paid to all Federal Government workers? If it is so, why are the states paying their pensioners? Are we not Nigerians that served this country? Please let me know?

PTAD: This enquiry should be directed to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

ADESIYAN: My name is Adesiyan, I am one of the federal pensioners from Osun State. My problem is that I have tried to confirm my “I’M ALIVE” programme for more 10 times. The message comes back as ‘Verification Failed and Faces do not Match’. What can I do to solve this problem?

PTAD: Pensioner contacted and advised to locate a cyber café to do fingerprint option.

ANONYMOUS:  Good day, I will like to know if my father is eligible for pension under Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). He was appointed on July 3, 1989 and was removed on April 27, 1999.

PTAD: No Name and Details Provided.

SUNDAY: Good day, my name is Sunday from Cross River State. My father died since July 10, 2005 while in police service. He is late inspector Okimba. His last place of service is Akwa-Ibom State. I went on to process his entitlement as his next of kin in 2015 at PTAD office Abuja where I was verified and captured with pensioner number. But up till date, I have not been paid. Kindly help me.

PTAD: There was incomplete documentation at the time of verification. NOK is requested to come forward with these additional documents Enlistment form; Emolument form; Letter of Administration; ; Marriage Certificate; Introduction Letter from Last Command; Valid Means of Identification; NOK’s Birth Certification; and NOK’s BVN.

ABDULLAHI: I am Abdullahi from Jos Plateau State. My father was a staff with Ministry of Defence, civilian units for 16 years before he died in 1995. I have attended various screening and verifications and the last one was in Jos in 2017. I have submitted all the required documents for the payment of gratuity and pension benefits as a Next of Kin (NOK), but up to no avail. In 2020 I was called from PTAD to submit some documents including bank account details which I did. From your publication of my case, PTAD is asking for is verification number which I scanned and sent since then. I hope Omobola will assist me.

PTAD: NOK should provide deceased name and Bank statement.