The federal government through the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has paid 502 civil service pensioners the sum of N784, 377, 933.27 as pension arrears.
A statement by the (PTAD) management explained the category of pensioners who received this payment include 262 verified eligible pensioners with complaints of non-payment of pension arrears from the North-east, South-east, North-west and South-south zones.
The statement said the pensioners received a total of N370,162,701.77 (Three Hundred and Seventy Million, One Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One Naira Seventy Seven Kobo).
It stated that 41 pensioners who were part of the 24,021 suspended in April 2018 for non-verification who have now been verified and restored to the monthly pension payroll with pension arrears for the months of April 2018 – June 2019 received the sum of N15, 543,703.96
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.
The Directorate further 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.
Similarly, the Directorate has paid the sum of N3, 366, 354, 277.64 (Three Billion Three Hundred and Sixty Six Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Seven Naira Sixty Four Kobo) to pensioners of 187 agencies.
“This is in fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to clear outstanding pension arrears for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
“This payment covers 6 months of the outstanding arrears of the 33 per cent pension increment for pensioners across 5 sectors as follows: Education, Health, Other Public Sector Research Institute (OPSRI), Power and Universities,” the statement said.
“PTAD has now offset 30 months’ arrears for pensioners in agencies across 5 sectors under Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD). It would be recalled that between June 2016 and December 2018, PTAD paid 24 months arrears to pensioners in these agencies.
At the time of its takeover of payment of parastatals pension in 2015, the Directorate had inherited outstanding 33 per cent pension increment liabilities from the various agencies,” it added.
