The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, has revealed that the Directorate paid a total of N102.84 billion to pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) in the last 15 months.
Speaking at the PTAD’s 2019 North Central Stakeholders Forum held in Abuja yesterday, Barrister Ikeazor, disclosed that the Directorate paid a total of N79.21 billion to the pensioners in 2018 and N23.63 billion in the first quarter of 2019.
She said 30,770 Civil Service Pensioners who had not been on the payroll had their benefits computed and put back on the payroll with their arrears paid.
The PTAD boss further revealed that by March 2019, 1655 pensioners were added to payroll and pension arrears paid.
A total of 14,678 pensioners from various agencies under the Parastatals Pension Department were verified and paid their benefits.
“We are awaiting approved salary charts for the re-computation and payments of death benefits and 3-year arrears of next of kins of deceased pensioners from the National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission,” she said.
She assured pensioners that the proposed salary increase for workers would also translate to pension increase for retirees.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, expressed satisfaction with the activities of PTAD and assured pensioners of the safety of their pension funds.
The Minister, who was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Legal Services, Gabriel Christopher, said the present government has been working to douse agitations of pensioners under the old scheme by clearing the inherited backlog of pensions.
She said payment of the 33 per cent pension increment has been ongoing in line with the government’s plan to clear pension liabilities.
The President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Abel Afolabi, commended the Federal Government over the welfare of retirees in the country.
Afolabi said he had been retired for 29 years now, but never had retirees in the country had it this good.
He called on the government to clear all remaining pension liabilities to further ease the hardship of pensions in the country.
