FG pays N610bn to retirees from January 2015 to December 2021, says PTAD boss, Ejikeme

About N610 billion has been paid as monthly pensions retirees from January 2015 to December 2021, the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma N. Ejikeme.

She disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the weekly Ministerial Media briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa.

Ejikeme said in addition PTAD repatriated £26.5 million from Crown Agents Investment Managers Limited of the United Kingdom being part of the leftovers used to pay British colonial officers who served in Nigeria.

It equally got hold of other legacy pension assets valued at N17.85 billion from Boards of Trustees and Underwriters of Treasury Funded Federal Parastatals.

According to her, the recovered funds were used to defray the inherited arrears of defunct agencies and to pay off inherited outstanding pension arrears.

Describing Buhari as a pension- friendly president, Ejikeme said: “Through the unwavering support of President Muhammadu Buhari who has been adjudged by pensioners as the most pensioner-friendly President in Nigeria, and administration which has made pension an unwritten first-line charge.

“Now, there is regular monthly payment of pension without fail since inception as and when due.

“Regular monthly payments of pension without fail since inception as and when due, from January 2015 to December 2021 PTAD has paid N610 billion in monthly pensions.

“Payments of long outstanding arrears to pensioners across all the pension departments, most significantly the huge arrears inherited from the defunct/privatized agencies.

“Regular engagements with pensioners and other stakeholders across all the six geo-political zones, to update pensioners on activities of the directorate.’’

Ejikeme explained that PTAD created the first of its kind database to curb corruption and strengthen transparency between the government and the pensioners.

“PTAD inherited 268, 897 pensioners on payrolls of the old pension offices of the Directorate through verification process has centralized database, complete with pensioners personal information, biometrics, and career documents.

“Before the inception of PTAD pensioners go through onerous process to access their pensions, resulting in deaths and unbearable conditions because of bottlenecks encountered by ageing pensioners.

“To foster integrity, the database is the first of it kind initiated to ease the burden of pensioners,’’ the PTAD boss said.

Ejikeme added: “PTAD introduced a modern and innovative complaints system that is responsive, attentive, pensioner-friendly, and results oriented which has led to a reduction in the number of pensioners complaints being received over the years.

“PTAD has witnessed a shard decline in complains from 2016 to 2022, with 3755 complains in 2016 juxtapose with 2432 in 2022, the decline shows growth due to swift response.

“Over N39billion has been expanded in the payment of the arrears of the defunct or privatized agencies.

“Ex-PHCN 9.7% increments approved in 2021 and took effect from April 2016 was implemented and arrears of N6.9 billion paid.

“The ” I AM ALIVE ” initiative by PTAD  which was launched in October 2021 was designed to verify and confirm the aliveness of pensioners from the comfort of their home or neighborhood using either a smartphone or a computer system devoid of the stress of traveling for periodic field verification.’’