Ali Abare, Gombe
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) said it has carried out verification exercise of pensioners in the north east zone with a view to enhancing prompt payment of pension allowances.
In a statement issued to journalists, on Wednesday, in Gombe State, PTAD decried the absence of credible data of pensioners in the country in spite of earlier effort by the defunct Pension Office, stressing the need to verify all pensioners under the Data Base System (DBS) for effective resolution of complaints.
PTAD described as worrisome the crisis bedeviling the pension scheme across the country previously characterized by allegations of misappropriation of funds, maladministration, corruption, fraud as well as numerous pensioners complaints. PTAD particularly decried the non-payment of monthly pension after retirement.
While citing issues affecting pensioners, PTAD decried the commencement of payment of pensions and gratuities by installment, removal of names on pension payment voucher, non-payment of harmonised arrears, irregular payment of federal pension as well as non receipt of pension after retirement.
The pension directorate said it presently operates four pension departments that included the police pension department, customs, immigration and prisons pension department and treasury funded parastatals pension department.
In separate interviews with some pensioners at the venue of the verification exercise, Segun Oke, representative of Nitel Pensioners Association and Zainab Idris Haruna from Pension Bureau Gombe, commended PTAD for embarking on the exercise, stressing that the verification of pensioners in the north east was timely.