Benjamin Babine, Abuja
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has extended its plan to remove 23,089 parastatals’ pensioners from the Federal Government payroll following the demands from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
PTAD who had decided in August to remove the said amount of pensioners who they considered to be “ghost pensioners” have agreed to the demands of NUP and have given until 31st of October, 2020, for the pensioners to identify themselves.
This NUP who disclosed this also called on the Acting Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Mr Ekpo Nta, to expedite action on the review of pension in relation to the new national minimum wage.
Appealing to the Commission, the union requested that already approved templates and consequential adjustments should be submitted to President Buhari. NUP added that pensioners are unhappy with delay in transmitting the report to the President.
The General Secretary of NUP, Elder Actor Zal, said: “PTAD has acceded to our request that they will not remove the names of pensioners until the end of October, they have extended the time for about three months. PTAD took the decision owing to the agitation by NUP, hence it advised NUP to ensure that all pensioners know that it has been extended by three months and whoever has not done verification has up till October ending to perfect his records; if not they would remove the names.”
Elder Zal further called on the pensioners at home and abroad to check their records and put it right with PTAD, using all the available channels provided. He also commended the Federal Government, especially the Ministry of Finance for the recent release of money to pay the Nigerian Airways pensioners.
The General Secretary said: “The Ministry of Finance released money for the payment of Nigerian Airways pensioners; and we want to also thank the Federal Government for making the release for the payment of the Nigerian Airways pensioners. This will definitely go a long way to help the pensioners and their family in the face of the very hard economic situation in the country.”
