Uche Usim, Abuja

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) spent N102.82 billion on federal pensioners between January 2018 and March 2019 under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

The Executive Secretary, PTAD,  Sharon Ikeazor, who confirmed amount paid out by federal government to pensioners Thursday in Abuja at  North Central Stakeholders’  forum for pensioners also revealed that 104,133 others and spread across 270 agencies/institutions are to be electronically captured in a comprehensive verification exercise spread across the six geo-political zones and Lagos.

A breakdown of the pay-outs showed  that  N59.97 billion  was utilised to fund parastatal pension department in the 15-month period and out of this figure, N45.05 billion  was spent in 2018 while the balance of N14.92 billion was paid out in the first quarter of this year.

For the civil servants pension department, N26.4 billion was released during the period made up of N21.21 billion for 2018 and N5.19 billion for the first three months of this year.

PTAD further spent N8.64 billion in paying Customs, Immigration and Prisons Service, out of which N6.81 billion was for 2018 while the balance of N1.84 billion was utilised in the first quarter of this year.

More so, N7.78 billion was released to police out of which N6.12 billion was the amount utilised in 2018 while the balance of N1.65 billion was for the first quarter of 2019.

Commenting further, the PTAD boss stressed that the payment underscores  the resolve by current administration  to prioritise prompt payment of pension benefit to deserving pensioners  to make life easier for them.

A breakdown of the figure, showed that the highest amount of N59.97 billion  was utilised to fund Parastatal Pension Department during the period under review.

Out of this amount, N45.05 billion was utilised in 2018 while the balance of N14.92 billion was spent in the first quarter of 2019.

For Civil Servants Pension Department, the sum of N26.4 billion was released during the period made up of N21.21 billion for 2018 and N5.19bn for the first three months of this year.

In the same vein, PTAD paid the sum of N8.64 billion as payment to Customs, Immigration and Prisons Service out of which N6.81 million was for 2018 while the balance of N1.84 billion was utilised in the first quarter of this year.

For police pension, N7.78 billion was released out of which N6.12 billion was the amount utilised in 2018 while the balance of N1.65 billion was for the first quarter of 2019.

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She described year 2018 as very eventful, pointing out that the agency recorded significant mileages interns of pension payments to pensioners.

“2018 was a busy year at PTAD, and we dare say a successful one too. Pension payments have been regular and up to date.  We concluded the Civil Service Pension Department verification and commenced the verification of the Parastatal Pension Department pensioners, starting with the defunct agencies. We made significant progress on the payment of the long outstanding 33 per cent arrears, which we are hopeful will soon be a thing of the past. Incidents of pension fraud are on the decline as we continue to create awareness and partner with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest and prosecute fraudsters”, she said.

She assured pensioners that the proposed minimum wage will reflect in their pay as soon as bill was endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“PTAD is working closely with all relevant agencies of government towards improved turnaround on monthly pension payment. The issue of increment will apply automatically once the minimum once the minimum bill is passed into law,” she said.

For 2019 and beyond, Ikeazor said this would be implemented from three main strategic priorities. They are strengthening of PTAD’s institutional framework using technology, prudent and efficient resources management and sustained optimal pensioner satisfaction.

She said funding remained a big challenge to the agency.

“Funding to address our obligations to all our pensioners is a recurring challenge. We will continue to forge ahead as we have done in previous years”, she said.

On the planned mass verification, the PTAD boss listed beneficiary agencies as the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Assurance Bank, Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and Aluminum Smelter Company Of Nigeria (ALSCON).

She noted that the exercise was to validate inherited payrolls from the various defunct pension boards and offices which handled payment to pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme and to create a comprehensive digital database of pensioners.

“The exercise will also facilitate easy access and retrieval of records for computation and prompt complaints resolution. It will also ensure that monthly pension is accurately calculated and reflects application of relevant pension statutes, policy and salary structures.

In his remarks, the Chairman, National Union of Pensioners (NUP) Dr Abel Afolayan lauded PTAD management. He said NUP and PTAD are partners in progress. He admonished PTAD to quickly offset the 33 per cent arrears of retirees under the Parastatal Pension Department.

He admonished PTAD management to ensure complaints by pensioners are swiftly addressed .He said  living conditions of pensioners under the current administration is better noting that,  in his 29 years as a pensioner, he had never had it this good.