By Stanley Onyekwere
Director, FCT Pension Department, Mr. Rotimi Babatunde Ajayi, has disclosed the approval for the release of the sum of N2,253,214,569.36 as pension / gratuity and payment of group life insurance claims for 445 retirees, including families of some deceased officers.
Ajayi, explained that the approval is for accrued benefits to 197, who retired from Secretariats, Departments and Agencies of the FCT Administration and 248 deceased next of kin.
Making this disclosure during a stakeholders interaction with the pension desk officers of the Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) in Abuja, he added that the sum also include the 2019 arrears benefits of the affected staff.
He disclosed that out of the total sum, N964,123,713.47 is for Next of Kin (NOK) of the 248 deceased officers; N587,456,832.78 for payment of accrued right benefits to 197 Retirees ; while N701,634,023.11 was released as pension arrears occasioned by salary increment of the year 2019.
According to him, the approval is sequel to the payment into the beneficiaries Retirement Savings Accounts to access the retirement benefits from their Pension Fund Administrators, saying the payment also covered for the 2019 arrears on the basis of salary increment.
He reiterated that the FCTA will ensure that accrued right benefit is paid to staff, who were in service before the pension Reform Act of 2004 that birthed the Contributory Pension Scheme.
