PTAD Pays N4.147bn Arrears to Agencies, Civil Service Pensioners
Stories by Ebere Nwoji
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid approximately N4.147 billion to pensioners of 187 agencies of federal government as arrears of their 33 percent pension increase as well as 502 civil service pensioners who were owed arrears.
PTAD, said the payments were in fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to clear outstanding pension arrears for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
In a breakdown of the payment, PTAD said the payment covered six months of outstanding arrears of the 33 per cent pension increment for pensioners across five sectors namely, education, health, other public sector research institute (OPSRI), power and universities, 262 Verified and eligible pensioners, with complaints of non-payment of pension arrears from the north-east, south-east, north-west and south-south zones.
This, also included 41 pensioners who were part of the 24,021 suspended in April 2018, for non-verification but have now been verified and restored to the monthly pension payroll with pension arrears for the months of April 2018 - June 2019
PTAD said with this payment, it has now offset 30-months arrears for pensioners in agencies across five sectors under Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD).
The directorate, said between June 2016 and December 2018, it had paid 24 months arrears to pensioners in the agencies, adding that at the time of its takeover of payment of parastatals pension in 2015, it inherited outstanding 33 per cent pension increment liabilities from the various agencies. It assured that all arrears would be paid in due course. PTAD said out of the above figures, it paid N784,377,933.27 to 502 civil service pensioners as arrears. It said the category of pensioners who received this payment included 262 verified eligible pensioners with complaints of non-payment of pension arrears from the north-east, south-east, north-west and the south- south zones. They received a total of N370,162,701.77.
41 pensioners who were part of the 24,021 suspended in April 2018 for non-verification, but have now been verified and restored to the monthly pension payroll with pension arrears for the months of April 2018 - June 2019.
They received the sum of N15,543,703.96.
It said in the same vein, N398,671,527.54 was paid to 199 verified eligible pensioners added to the pension payroll in July 2018 from the south-west and north-central zones.
PTAD assured verified eligible pensioners awaiting payment of their pension arrears, that in line with restoring hope in pension administration under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), outstanding arrears will be cleared.