PTAD To Remove 21,227 Unverified Pensioners from Govt Payroll.

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate has concluded arrangements to remove 21,227 unverified Parastatal Pensioners who are on the Directorate’s payroll and had not presented themselves for verification with effect from October 2020.

The list of the affected pensioners had been given to the Pension Unions since July 2020 for dissemination and sensitization of their members and to give a feedback to the Directorate.

The Executive Secretary, PTAD, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme stated that the affected Parastatal Pensioners are those that did not turn up for the Directorate’s 2019 Parastatal Pensions Department Nationwide and In-House verification exercises.

Also, they neither submitted documentary request for mobile verification nor registered as Diaspora Pensioners.

She said in 2019, a well-publicized verification exercise for all Federally funded Parastatals, Agencies and Institutes under the Defined Benefit Scheme was conducted throughout the six geo-political zones of the country including Lagos and Abuja.

In each zone including Lagos and Abuja, conducive centres located at strategic and accessible locations were provided to carry out the exercise for an average period of two weeks.

She explained that a total of 32 Centres were provided for the exercise which ran from April to November, 2019.

During the programme that lasted for many months, the National Assembly, especially House Committee on Pension and Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service provided legislative oversight support throughout the exercise.

She said the Pension Unions were also part of the stakeholders that mobilised and monitored their members for the exercise.

Furthermore,the PTAD Boss noted that Government Anti-fraud Agencies such as EFCC, ICPC, DSS and Police Force were on ground to monitor and provide support for the exercise.

Ejikeme said at the end of the verification exercise, a total of 76,064 Parastatals pensioners were verified and documented.

In addition, she noted that the Directorate organized a further mop-up verification exercise, through continuous In-House verification for those that could not be verified during the field exercise in PTAD offices in Lagos and Headquarters, Abuja where a total of 3,150 additional pensioners were verified and documented.

After one year of the completion of the exercise, the PTAD Boss said it is logical to remove those that could not be verified and documented in order for the Directorate to maintain a credible payroll.

She said, “A total of 21,227 names are to be removed from the payroll with effect from October 2020.

“However, in view of the Covid-19 lockdown, PTAD has released some guidelines which bonafide Pensioners amongst the identified 21,227 pensioners with authentic documents should follow to ensure that their names are not removed from the payroll.

“Pensioners who are resident overseas (Diaspora Pensioners), should please scan all their career records, bank statement, BVN Slip with picture, mobile number, email address, resident permit, data page of international passport showing picture and personal details, certificate of aliveness from the nearest Nigeria Embassy and send to the email address: [email protected] “

She added that Pensioners who are sick should scan all their career records, bank statement, BVN Slip with picture, mobile number, email address, national identity card or national driver’s license, medical report from a Government Hospital and send to the email address: [email protected]

The Executive Secretary reaffirms the Directorate’s commitment to the welfare of the Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.