Federal Government has assured Pensioners, payment of entitlements beginning with pensioners of the defunct agencies
The minister of Finance Hajiya Zainab Ahmad stated this while flagging off the official finalization payment of inherited unfunded Liabilities of pensioners of defunct agencies under the pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate PTAD in Abuja
Hajiya Zainab said this administration was committed to reforming the pension services and necessitated to develop a sufficient means at ensuring the pensioners were verified and captured in the data base which PTAD played a major role in that direction.
According to her, these have reduced drastically complaints and sometimes human errors on the pension issues and also affirmed the release of about 1.8 billion naira payments for pensioners of the defunct agencies.
Speaking, the Chairman, Pensioners Association of Defunct New Nigerian newspaper Malam Idris Sule expressed appreciation to the minister, PTAD and President Muhammadu Buhari for cutting the long journey short.
He said from reports all over the country, their members were happy by receiving the alerts of the payments
Earlier in her opening remark, the Executive Secretary, PTAD Dr Chioma Ejikeme explained that today’s payment was a landmark in the journey of bringing succour to this group of retirees.
Dr Chioma said the Directorate had completed the payment of outstanding liabilities due to ex-workers of two of the Defunct Agencies namely Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (total 126 inherited months completely liquidated) & New Nigeria Newspapers Limited (Total 219 inherited Months Completely liquidated).
She also noted that PTAD had settled a significant portion of the outstanding liabilities due to the ex workers of another three Defunct Agencies which comprised Nigerian Insurance Corporation NICON, Delta Steel Company Limited and NITEL/MTEL.
Dr Chioma said the pension liabilities to be paid today were the arrears which accumulated between the time, when the lump sum pension was earlier paid in October 2018 when the disengaged ex-workers were enrolled on the monthly pension by PTAD,
The Executive Secretary further added that this, therefore, represent the unfunded pension liabilities that were due to these pensioners at the time the Directorate inherited them,
In their separate Goodwill messages the chairman senate committee on establishment Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and chairman house committee on pension Hon Kabir Rurum assured pensioners commitment to assist. pensioners.
COV Bashir M, Abuja
