From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has revealed that the sum of N42,332,909,500.42 in pension arrears and N7,134,360,136.45 in death benefits have been paid to 161,122 pensioners and 3,832 next of kin of deceased pensioners since 2014. These total N49,467,269,636.87.
The Director, Pensioner Support Services at PTAD, Nneka Obiamalu, disclosed this in Awka, the Anambra State capital during a stakeholders’ engagement forum for the South East region. The forum is part of the directorate’s ongoing ‘I Am Alive’ campaign.
Obiamalu said that serious efforts were being made to ensure that every pensioner got their entitlements and that the Benefits Computation System has been created to make it easier to calculate pensioners’ benefits with minimum manual interference.
Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, said that the directorate had recorded appreciable achievements since she came on board. She said that from January 2022 alone to date, the directorate had carried out a series of activities that benefited the pensioners.
“They include complete payment of arrears arising as a result of the consequential adjustment to pensions as a result of the increase in minimum wage of April 2019 to the four operational departments in the directorate.
“Complete liquidation of the 126 months outstanding liabilities due to ex-workers of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation; complete payment of the 219 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of New Nigeria Newspaper Limited.
“Complete payment of the 100 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of NICON Insurance; complete payment of the 96 months of inherited liabilities to ex-workers of Delta Steel Company (DSC).
“Implemented the 9.7 per cent increment to ex-PHCN workers with attendant arrears paid. Payment of a total of 48 months of the 84 months inherited arrears owed NITEL/MTEL pensioners, leaving a balance of 36 months for complete liquidation.
“With these payments, we are glad to inform you that PTAD has completely liquidated the inherited unfunded liabilities of all the Defunct/Privatized Agencies handed over to PTAD in 2017, with the exception of NITEL/MTEL with a balance of 36 months, which we are fully committed to liquidating,” Ejikeme said.