NOA, PTAD partner to verify pensioners in North East

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), are to verify pensioners in the North East to ensure prompt and accurate payment of pensions to retirees.

The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit to NOA’s Director General, Garba Abari by PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor.

The agencies said the partnership was in line with government’s efforts to rebuild confidence of Nigerians in the pension system.

Abari noted that citizens in the North East have, for long, felt alienated from the country owing to the security challenge in that zone.

“The verification of pensioners in the zone will help restore their sense of belonging.

“The senior citizens who have served the nation ought to retire and receive prompt and constant payment of pension claims”, Abari said.

He described the non-payment of pensions as a systemic problem which PTAD must address.

Abari assured that NOA would embark on sensitisation, mobilisation and advocacy for effective pensioners’ verification in the zone.

Abari expressed confidence in the capacity of the new PTAD Executive Secretary to deliver on the task.

Ikeazor said the visit was to solicit collaboration with NOA to ‘sanitise the pension payroll and create a credible database of pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme for efficient pension management’.

She said PTAD had commenced nationwide verification of pensioners and was counting on NOA’s formations in the North East for the success of the next phase.

According to Ikeazor, the verification for South West and South East had been completed.

The PTAD boss said the directorate had succeeded in regularising monthly pension, paid 33 per cent of pension arrears including pension benefits to next-of-kins verified by the Pension Commission.