The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PTAD

  • 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.

  • 17 years after disengagement, verification of 1,731 Savanah Sugar Company ex-workers begins

    The Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) of the Federal Government has commenced verification exercise for former workers of the Savannah Sugar Company, Numan, Adamawa State.

    The 1,571 affected workers were disengaged in 2002 when the company was privatised, following which they have failed to get their due disengagement benefits from successive governments till now.

    The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor, in a statement in Yola Wednesday, said the verification exercise was in furtherance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to improve the welfare of Nigerian pensioners, “especially those neglected by previous administrations.”

    The verification of the ex-workers of the Savannah Sugar Company, which began on Monday at the Lelewal Hotel in Jimeta, Yola, will continue till Wednesday, February 13 when all the 1571 former workers are expected to have been verified through their letters of appointment, last promotion and disengagement from the company, among other requirements.

    The Savannah Sugar Company Ltd, a cane sugar manufacturing complex occupying a vast farmland in Numan, became a private venture upon its privatisation by the Federal Government.

    It is currently a subsidiary of the Dangote Group of companies.

    Read Also: Local sugar production begins in 2016, says Council

    Some of the ex-workers, who turned up for the verification exercise on Wednesday, expressed optimism they would, at last, be certified for their benefits after so many years of waiting.

    Mrs. Ronica Dickson, who said she served the company for 16 years before being laid off 17 years ago, said it had been terrible while she waited for her benefits.

    “This government has tried by this intervention. We believe we will at last get what is due to us.

    “It will be a huge relief because there have been so many things waiting to be done in our individual private lives,” she said.

    Chairman of the Retrenched Workers Association of the company, Mr. Polycap Mbande, also told newsmen at the venue of the verification exercise that the past 17 years had been tough for the ex-workers.

    “Hundreds have died and many are down with stroke, diabetes and other diseases because they can’t afford healthy food and they can’t meet their numerous needs,” he said.

  • PTAD to verify pensioners’ payroll

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has said it has so far verified the payroll of about 16,873 pensioners of defunct or privatized government companies, while the process of verifying others, including the defunct Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) is being worked out. Executive Secretary of the Directorate, Sharon Ikeazor, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    She explained that when PTAD got approval to commence the verification of pensioners of the defunct NNSL, the leadership of the pensioners raised objection to the data received from the Federal Ministry of Transportation stating that the salary structure of its Seamen was not captured. She said further that while PTAD is making arrangement for their verification along side others, it was yet to receive the salary structure of the Seamen from the Ministry concerned.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has been drawn to a misleading statement allegedly issued by representatives of ex-workers of Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) insinuating that PTAD had deliberately delayed their enrolment into the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) and thereby frustrating the payment of N3 billion pension arrears owed to its members. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    “We would like to state that the issue of enrolling pensioners of defunct/privatised agencies was part of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s commitment towards lifting pensioners, who had hitherto been neglected for over a decade, out of poverty. This policy saw to the enrolment of pensioners of Delta Steel Company, NICON Insurance, Nigeria Reinsurance, New Nigerian Newspapers and NITEL/MTEL, all agencies that were either privatised or liquidated by previous governments without contingency safety nets for the thousands of their hardworking Nigerian employees.”

     

  • 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.

  • PTAD pays 500 NITEL, Mtel deceased pensioners’ next of kins

    •Group asks PTAD to pay eight years arrears of 20.4 % deductions on pension benefit

    About N1.56 billion has been paid to 500 Next of Kins (NOKs) of deceased pensioners of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL, by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

    Its Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor, who made this known in a statement to newsmen, said the NOKs are beneficiaries of deceased Nitel and Mtel pensioners, who died after service under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

    She said the NOKs have completed the process of documentation and have been cleared for payment by the Federal Auditors, adding that the timely payment was achieved through diligent verification exercise conducted by Directorate to authenticate genuine NOKs before payment was made.

    She assured those who are yet to be paid of the Directorate’s commitment to see that all NOKs receive their entitlement.

    Meanwhile, a group of pensioners, under the aegis of Association of Retired Federal Senior Public Officers of Nigeria (ARFESPON), has urged both the Federal Government and Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to make specific statement on the outstanding 20.4 per cent deductions from their pension entitlement made by the Goodluck Jonatham’s administration since 2010.

    Although, ARFESPON expressed its appreciation to PTAD for the recent six months’ arrears of the 33 per cent it paid to its members, it, however, said both PTAD and the government have decided to sweep the outstanding 20.4 per cent arrears of deductions from their entitlements for eight years under the carpet without any comment, despite several calls by the various pensioners’ group for government to pay attention to their complaints.

    ARFESPON Lagos Chapter President, Mr Olufemi Odewabi, while addressing the media on the outstanding arrears at the group’s secretariat in Lagos, said it was painful  that government has decided to turn deaf ear to their calls for payment of this huge outstanding arrears.

    He said for almost eight years, his members and other pensioners’ groups have been calling on the government to direct attention to this, but neither the government nor its agency for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), which is the PTAD, has deemed it fit to issue a statement in that regard.

    Odewabi said this is the time for the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and Sharon Ikeazor-led management to make a statement on the eight years outstanding pension arrears of benefits, noting that they will continue to ask for their money.

    He explained that the eight-year 20.4 per cent arrears were incurred by the government when it effected 53.4  per cent increase in workers’ salaries and pensioners’ benefits.

    He said a committee was set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the 53.4 per cent increase in pension entitlements, but that the committee suddenly woke up to factor in some illegal deductions from pensioner’s benefits.

    He said: “The committee recommended the following deductions from pensioner’s benefits which include Tax, Contributory Pension Scheme, Housing and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), all totaling 20.4 per cent deductions and recommended that only 33 percent of the increase effected by the government should be paid to pensioners.

    “This is a rape on the right of the pensioners. It is obvious that the conclusion of the committee that reviewed the approved 53.4 per cent increase for pensioners acted in nullity and was even not logical in arriving at such conclusions.

    “As reviewed in the white paper report, it was stated that the committee believe that out of the 53.4 per cent increase Tax, Contributory Pension, Housing, NHIS  totalling 20.4 per cent should be deducted, which makes them arrive at the conclusion that only 33 per cent out of the 53.4 per cent should be granted over eight years.”

    He argued that 20.4 per cent of 53 per cent is not 33 per cent, rather  it is 10.68 per cent, adding that if 20 per cent of the granted increment is to be deducted, 20 per cent of 53.4 per cent cannot be 33 per cent.

    He further stated that the calls for the review of pension increase were wrong and deliberate intention to short change pensioners, and were constitutionally wrong and tantamount to economic sabotage.

    He questioned the tax deduction, adding that pensioner’s benefits are not supposed to be taxed. He also questioned the deduction for the CPS when they are under the DBS.

    He urged the government to review the illegal deductions and ensure payment of the eight years’ arrears of 20.4 per cent deducted by the Jonathan administration’s committee.

  • PTAD pays 177,703 pensioners 33% arrears

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid  N6.314 billion being six months’ arrears of the 33 per cent pension increment.

    The payment covers 101,393 civil service pensioners on all grade levels and 76, 310 agencies.

    Its Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor in a statement, said pensioners’ welfare is a priority of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

    She stated that PTAD has fully 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 respectively.

    The Executive Secretary further assured pensioners that the Directorate is working with its supervisory Ministry of Finance as well as other relevant government agencies to clear the outstanding balance.

    Sequel to this, several pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), managed by PTAD have clamored for pension increase.

  • PTAD sensitises pensioners against fraudsters

    Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has embarked on sensitisation of pensioners and Next of Kin on the activities of fraudsters who target pensioners to defraud them of their hard earned pensions.

    According to a statement by the Directorate, the fraudstars penetrate pensioners and their next of kin by texting or calling them, soliciting for money to facilitate their pension payments.

    PTAD Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor, stressed that the directorate’s members of staff will never demand for money from any pensioner or next of kin before their pensions are processed and paid.

    She said there are no intermediaries in the pension payments, noting that pensioners are paid directly through Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform into individual account.

    She advised pensioners to beware of fraudsters, who sometimes posed as PTAD staff to defraud them.

    She said: “The Directorate embarked on the awareness campaigns to proactively protect the pensioners and expose pranks employed by the fraudsters to swindle uninformed pensioners.

    “This is why the Directorate is sensitising the pensioners through SMS, adverts in national newspapers and radio jingle on Radio stations across the six geo political zones of the country.

    “The awareness campaign jingle will also be aired on 18 Radio stations across the 6 geo political zones of the country and FCT,” she added.

  • New Nigeria lauds PTAD

    The management of the           New Nigeria Newspaper (NNN) has lauded  Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) for  timely placement of their pensioners on monthly payment.

    The firm spoke when its management, led by Acting Managing Director, Maruf Ibrahim,  paid a courtesy visit to PTAD Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor.

    This was made known in a statement by the Directorate‘s Corporate Communications Department.  Other members of the team included managers and pensioners’ union executives.

    The statement read: “The NNN officials said they are very happy at the speed at which PTAD was able to resolve, compute and pay their pensioners. They acknowledged the competence and diligence of PTAD staff in putting the pensioners first.

    “PTAD had in October placed 470 New Nigerian newspaper Pensioners on monthly pension payment for life. The Directorate advised those who have not received their payments to contact their bankers while PTAD re-present the 23 failed payments which is largely due to pensioners inactive accounts.

    “The team was assured that government will soon set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to look into and dispense with the issue of pension arrears that has accumulated over the years.”

     

     

    Also, the payment to the 109 NoKs is being computed and they will be contacted once the funds are released”, it stated.

     

  • Fed Govt committed to payment of outstanding pensions, says PTAD

    THE Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has assured Nigerian pensioners of government’s commitment to offsetting the balance of the 33 per cent pension increase.

    It pledged to keep paying monthly pension of the senior citizens.

    Reacting to an ultimatum by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners to picket the directorate and other government agencies responsible for the payment of pension, the management of PTAD said it was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure that the arrears was paid.

    PTAD said it has since cleared the outstanding 33% pension arrears for the Police Pension Department (PPD). It added that the only outstanding at the moment was 12 months of arrears for the civil service pensioners.

    According to the PTAD, pensioners from the parastatals were owed various months.

    The statement added that Minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed was committed to ensuring that pension backlogs are cleared.

    The minister, the statement noted, is working with PTAD and relevant government agencies to make sure that the backlog of outstanding pension arrears are cleared as soon as possible.

    The statement reads: “The attention of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has been drawn to calls by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Federal Universities Pensioners Association (FUPA) over the non-payment of the balance of the 12 and 36 months arrears respectively of the 33% pension increase to pensioners.

    “For the record, the backlog of the 33% pension arrears has been owed since 2010 as a fall out of the upward review of the minimum wage to N18, 000.00. Though the increment had been approved, it was not implemented immediately thus creating accumulated arrears of 42 months.

    “PTAD commenced payment of the 33% pension payment increase in October 2014 and ensured that all arrears for the year 2014 were paid in December 2014. In 2016, the backlog of the 33% pension arrears for the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department was fully paid.

    “In the same year, 12 months’ pension arrears were paid to pensioners under Civil Service, Police, Parastatals Pension Departments. In November 2017, the Federal Government, through PTAD, further paid six months arrears across board to pensioners under Civil Service, Police and Parastatals Pension Departments.

    “Please note that the Federal Government has regularly made monthly pension payments to all retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) on PTAD payroll.”

  • PTAD: Fed Govt committed to payment of outstanding pension

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has assured pensioners of  Federal Government’s commitment to offsetting the balance of 33 per cent pension increase and the continuous payment of monthly pension of senior citizens.

    Reacting to an ultimatum by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) to picket the Directorate and other government agencies responsible for the payment of pension in the country,  PTAD said it was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure that the arrears was paid.

    PTAD said it has since cleared the outstanding 33 per cent pension arrears for the Police Pension Department (PPD) was cleared while the only outstanding at the moment was 12 months of arrears for civil service pensioners, while pensioners from the parastatals were owed various months

    The statement explained that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed was committed to ensuring that all pension backlogs are cleared and that she was working with PTAD and relevant government agencies to make sure that the backlog of outstanding pension arrears are cleared as soon as possible.

    “The attention of PTAD has been drawn to calls by the NUP and the Federal Universities Pensioners Association (FUPA) over the non-payment of the balance of the 12 and 36 months arrears respectively of the 33 per cent pension increase to pensioners.

    “For the record, the backlog of the 33 per cent pension arrears has been owed since 2010 as a fall out of the upward review of the minimum wage to N18, 000.00. Though the increment had been approved, it was not implemented immediately thus creating accumulated arrears of 42 months.

    “PTAD commenced payment of the 33 per cent pension payment increase in October 2014 and ensured that all arrears for the year 2014 were paid in December 2014. In 2016, the backlog of the 33 per cent pension arrears for the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department was fully paid.

    “In the same year, 12 months pension arrears was paid to pensioners under Civil Service, Police, Parastatals Pension Departments. In November 2017, the Federal Government through PTAD, further paid 6 months arrears across board to pensioners under Civil Service, Police and Parastatals Pension Departments.

    “Please note that the Federal Government has regularly made monthly pension payments to all retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) on PTAD payroll.”