NAN-H-37
Verification
Bauchi, Nov.28,2016 (NAN) The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) on Monday commenced the verification of core civil service pensioners in some states of the North East geopolitical zone, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mr Taiwo Ogundipe, Director in charge of Parastatals Pension unit of PTAD, told NAN in Bauchi that at the end of the weeklong exercise, a credible operational database of pensioners would be created.
“The exercise, aimed at verifying genuine pensioners and addressing other problems, is taking place simultaneously in Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba states.
“It will not only help in detecting ghost pensioners and addressing complaints from genuine pensioner, but also provide us with an accurate database of beneficiaries,” he said.
According to him, some of the issues to be addressed include the over-payment and under-payment of pensioners, inclusion of names of pensioners omitted from the payroll, as well as elimination of ghost pensioners.
He listed the categories of pensioner s for verification to include former Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Service, as well as federal civil servants who retired from Grade Level 14 and below.
He said others were state pensioners with federal share, next of kin of deceased pensioners and those enjoying differed pension benefits.
Ogundipe explained that the exercise, which would feature thorough verification of documents, data X-ray and biometric capture, would be an opportunity to address all complaints of pensioners.
When NAN visited the Police Officers Mess, Bauchi, venue of the exercise, verification was going on orderly as tents had been erected and enough PTAD personnel provided.
A date will be fixed for the conduct of a similar exercise in Yobe and Borno, the two states in the North East left out in the current verification. (NAN)
AE/ASH/ASH