Pensioners besiege Sokoto for PTAD verification

Mon, Sep 23, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

General News

Hundreds of Federal Government pensioners from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states on Monday besieged Sokoto for the ongoing verification exercise by Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

A PTAD staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity at the venue said the exercise, going-on simultaneously in Kaduna and Kano states, was aimed at reducing pensioners’ burden of transportation and other hardship by ensuring that centers are at their door steps.

The official said the exercise was to enable PTAD to have a comprehensive, accurate and reliable database for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

”The database will be used to address some irregularities in the system, including ghost pensioners syndrome, duplicate payments, over and under payments among other needs.

” No fewer than 274 agencies, including universities, tertiary institutions, health institutions, research institutions and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria are expected to be covered by the exercise.

” Other agencies are; Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Postal Service, Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, Nigerian National Shipping Line and Assurance Bank, among others,” the source said.

According to the source, five steps were line up to ease the processes which included; Document review and document entry desk as well as Biometric capture and document screening desk.

Other desks were Quality assurance, Computing and checking while Internal and federal audit are the last desks.

”PTAD aims at providing exceptional, transparent and technology driven pension services through a competent and dedicated workforce,” the source added.

The officials urged prospective pensioners and next of kins to provide requisite documents displayed on newspaper adverts, bulletins and photographs to smoothen the process.

The source cautioned the pensioners against any form payments to anybody as PTAD does not ask for money, so anyone demanding for money are fraudsters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that photographers and other hawkers were making brisk businesses at the centres where the exercise is taking place.

NAN observed that many of the retired senior citizens had to patronise the wait-and-take photographers to get a passport needed for verification while petty traders of sachet water and other food items, make high sales.

A Pensioner, Mr Garba Abdurrahman, who retired from the defunct PHCN, commended PTAD for the exercise, noting that he spent less than 10 minutes to complete the screening.

Abdurrahman explained that with PTAD handling pension funds, pensioners got their payments at ease, provided the person fulfilled the information requirements. (NAN)

-Sep 23, 2019 @ 20:40 GMT |

Tags: