The Minister of Interior, and the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions, have expressed satisfaction on the efficiency and effectiveness of the administration and management of Define Benefit Scheme pensions in Nigeria.
The duo equally commended the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, for the good job the agency under her watch is doing, especially in ensuring prompt payment of pension to pensioners.
The commendations simultaneously came last week during an interface session with the two Federal government offices.
The first was when the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, in company of some management team of the agency paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in his office and when the House Pensions Committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Mohammed Jallo, visited PTAD for overnight functions.
At the visit to the Minister, Dr. Ejikeme gave a brief insight on the workings of PTAD; the categories of pensioners under its mandate; challenges and successes. She equally intimated the Minister on the “I Am Alive” confirmation (IAAC).
“When PTAD was established, it inherited unvalidated pension payrolls which led to the start of pensioner verifications in 2015 to validate and build a credible database of bonafide Federal Government ex-workers.
However, pensioners who are in the diaspora and are unable to return to Nigeria due to age or ill-health are yet to be validated and their biometrics captured by PTAD,” she stated while she gave more insight.
The E.S, went on to request the collaboration with the Honorable Minister and his team with regards to verification of DBS pensioners in the diaspora to make sure they can confirm their aliveness and continue to receive their pension entitlements.
In his reaction, the Minister of Interior, commended PTAD on the job it has been doing and noted that his Ministry and the Directorate are partners in progress and have a big role to play in actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said the two must work together to make services easy and seamless especially for pensioners who are vulnerable and have a pride of place in society.
The Interior Minister, went on to promise a collaboration with PTAD in every way possible especially in the area of data integration, in order to engage the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure that pensioners in the diasapora who cannot come back to Nigeria due to age can be verified wherever they are and their aliveness confirmed.
In the same vein, the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions, commended PTAD for the great achievements recorded since its inception. However, it called for improved delivery of pension services. The Committee Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Mohammed Jallo, made the call.
The Reps’ Members of the Committee in their remarks, acknowledged the achievements of the Directorate, and also enjoined the Directorate to do more. The Chairman, Hon. Jallo assured the Executive Secretary of PTAD of the support and cooperation of the Committee and the entire 10th Assembly in achieving the PTAD mandate, in the interest of all pensioners and the country.
Responding to the call, Dr. Ejikeme, salute the House Committee Chairman and his members for their commendation and visiting to PTAD. She equally gave them a brief history of the Directorate, innovative programmes the agency is implementing to better its service to the pensioners.
Furthermore, she told them of the numerous challenges PTAD face and how it has been dismantling them, as well as then plans to improve the welfare of pensioners under the federal Defined Benefit Scheme as mandatedby the Pension Reform Act, 2014.
Regarding harmonisation of pensions, and the statutory pension increment as stipulated in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She requested the Committee’s support.
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