From: Ben Dunno, Warri

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Barr. Sharon Ikpeazor, has reassured of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari, to settle all outstanding arrears owe pensioners across the country based on his disposition to uplifting the standards of living of workers either still in active service or retired.

Giving this assurance at the venue of the ongoing verification exercise for workers of Delta Steel Company (DSC), Ovwian Aladja and other establishments within the zone, along the Orhowhoron road in Udu Local Government Area of Delta state, the Executive Secretary noted that exercise was an evident of promise made and promise kept to the pensioners during her recent fact finding visit to the state

She disclosed that the report from that tour caught the attention of Mr. president to the plights of the pensioners and he immediately gave an approval for a verification exercise to be carried out to be able to ascertain the numbers of the pensioners and years of service in order to ascertain what should be their entitlements since after they have left service.

Ikpeazor said the ongoing verification exercise has shown that the present administration under the leadership of President Buhari is a responsible and responsive government that can be trusted.

According to her, “I came to Delta State in 2016. When I came to DSC they told me that no government official has ever come to them and I told them that this government under President Buhari is a responsible and responsive government. We told them that we will look into their issues, verify them and pay them.

“A lot of them did not believe me and this is why my joy no knows no bound today because that promise has been fulfilled. When you make a promise and you do not fulfill it you will lose the trust of the people. So with this ongoing verification exercise, government has shown that it can be trusted with what they say”.

On allegation that the directorate has refused to pay the 33% arrears been owed some pensioners, Barr. Ikeazor denied the allegation saying that some people want to “cry wolf where there is no wolf” as the President had earlier set up an inter-ministerial committee and pension liability scheme headed by the Minister of finance to handle this issue.

“You will recall that President Buhari had set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee and pension liabilities headed by the Minister of Finance. I, the Executive Secretary of PTAD, I am the Secretary of that committee and we have membership from the Military Pension Board that pays the contributory Pension Scheme.

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“The committee has completed its work and has come out with the total numbers of arrears and liabilities that government has. The minister presented this to FEC and FEC approved that the Minister together with the DMO will raise notes and bonds to clear the pension arrears.

“Just last week the ministry of finance released money from the Service for part payment of the 33%. So the pensioners have already started receiving the 33% payment. We have paid six months arrears for the civil service commission, six months arrears for the service mentioned, and for the police we paid twelve months and they have all received their monies. So it will be good if you interview the pensioners and ask them whether they have been paid. These were monies owned them since 2012″, the PTAD Secretary said.

She said the directorate in collaboration with BPE has concluded verification exercise of the New Nigerian Newspapers, NICON Insurance and most privatized agencies and they have started receiving their payments for the pension arrears.

Also, member of the House Committee on Pension, House of Representatives, Hon. Samuel Ikon, commended PTAD for what they have done so far, adding that he is encouraged with the level of pace and speed they are working.

Some of the retirees who spoke to our correspondent commended President Buhari for ordering the verification exercise, noting that with the commencement of the exercise twelve years after, they now have hope that there is going to be light at the end of the tunnel.

PTAD was established in line with the provisions of Section 30 (2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act (PRA), 2014 now PRA 2014 to consolidate and manage the defunct pension offices of Civil Service Pension, Police Pensions, Customs, Immigration and Prisons Permissions and Treasury Funded Federal Government Parastatals.

The Directorate is saddled with the responsibility of managing pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) for federal pensioners who have retired on or before June 30th 2007. It Makes budgetary estimate for existing pensioners and the officers exempted from the Contributory Pension Scheme, prepare and summit monthly payroll of pensioners to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for direct payment from the budgetary allocation maintained with the Central Bank of Nigeria to pensioners bank accounts, amongst others.

Over five thousand Federal Pensioners of Delta Steel Company (DSC) and other federal establishments were to be captured in the ongoing verification exercise within the Warri zone which comprises of workers within the state and neighbouring states.