NAN-H-39
Verification
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Aug. 15, 2017 (NAN) No fewer than 4,500 federal pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) will undergo biometric verification in Osun, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), has said.
Ikeazor disclosed during the verification exercise for pensioners on Tuesday in Osogbo.
She said that the exercise was aimed at establishing an accurate, credible and digitised database of pensioners under DBS as well as eliminate duplicate payments and ghost pensioners.
“Before PTAD was established, pension administration in Nigeria had fallen into disrepute amidst allegations of misappropriation of funds, maladministration, corruption, fraud, non payment of monthly pension among others.
“In a bid to correct observed anomalies, streamline payment of pensions and gratuities of pensioners under its mandate, PTAD commenced a nationwide verification of pensioners under DBS.
“This is to maintain a comprehensive database of pensioners in its jurisdictions as mandated in the Pension Reform Act of 2004.
“It is on record that PTAD did not inherit credible pensioners’ database, despite many verification exercises conducted by the defunct pension offices.
“There was therefore an urgent need to verify all pensioners under the DBS to enable PTAD resolve their complaints,” she said.
Ikeazor said that during the verification, pensioners would pass through the four stages of document review, biometric, document scanning and quality assurance.
She added that after the exercise, pensioners under DBS would be able to earn their monthly pension promptly.
Ikeazor noted that the agency also made arrangement for mobile verification for the sick and the aged.
She also said that the agency had put necessary measures in place to detect fake pensioners during the exercise, adding that more than 900 pensioners were verified on Monday.
Some of the pensioners, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), commended PTAD for the exercise.
Mr Folusho Adebayo, a pensioner, expressed optimism that the verification would eliminate delay in payment of pensioners under DBS.
Also speaking, Mrs Module Ajayi, described the exercise as a welcome development. (NAN)
VE/OIF/OJO
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(Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Mufutau Ojo)