Directorate verifies pensioners in North-East

From David Hassan, Gombe

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has carried out verification exercise of pensioners in the North East zone with a view to enhance members with pension allowances.
In a statement issued to journalists yesterday at the Federal College of Education Technical Gombe said PTAD operates four pension departments that includes the Police pension department, the Customs Immigration and Prisons pension department and Treasury Funded Parastatals pension department.
The statement also indicated that even before PTAD was established pension in the country suffered setback amidst allegations of misappropriation of funds.
“Maladministration, corruption and fraud as well as numerous pensioners complaints are not left out, even issues such as non-payment of monthly pension after retirement is worrisome,” the statement said.
The statement decried commencement of short payment of pensions and gratuities, removal of names on pension payment voucher, nonpayment of harmonized arrears, irregular payment of federal pension and non receipt of pension after retirement.
According to the statement, PTAD did not inherit credible pensioner’s data base despite the verification exercise conducted by the defunct person office, adding that there was urgent need to verify all pensioners under the DBS to enable PTAD resolve their complaints.
In separate interviews with some pensioners at the venue of the verification exercise, our correspondent reports that both Segun Oke a representative of Nitel Pensioners Association and Zainab Idris Haruna from Pension Bereau Gombe appreciated the verification exercise of pensioners in the north east saying it is timely.