PenCom Begins Pre-retirement Verification, Enrollment of Workers in Enugu

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

No fewer than 1,000 employees of the federal government due to retire in 2019 are expected to appear at the Enugu centre for the week-long pre-retirement verification and enrolment of employees operating under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) had commenced the nationwide exercise at 15 centres across the country last Wednesday.

The Head, Corporate Communications Department of PenCom, Mr. Peter Aghahowa, who spoke at the flag-off of the exercise at the Universal Hotel, Enugu, said the verification and enrollment exercise was aimed at making it easier for enrollees to easily access at retirement without the usual bottlenecks.

He said the Commission expected about 1,000 persons from Enugu and Anambra States to take part in the exercise which will last for nine days.

He said participants will involve employees of Treasury funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the federal government due to retire between January and December 2019 under the contributory pension scheme.

“We are expecting Employees of Treasury Funded Ministries, Agencies and Departments of the Federal Government based in Enugu and Anambra States, who are due to retire from service between January and December 2019 by virtue of attaining the applicable maximum age or length of service are expected to participate in this exercise.

Affected employees, he said are required to personally come along with the original of their applicable employment documents for sighting while photocopies of same would be submitted for verification and enrolment.

“Pension Desk Officers (PDOs) of each MDA are also expected to be available at the Universal Hotel, Enugu to authenticate the employee documents and endorse the Retirement Bond Registration Form of each potential retiree from his/her MDA.

“The following dates have been assigned to the service sectors ministries/parastatals July 5-6, academic institutions July 9-10, health & research Institutions July 11, paramilitary July 12-13, Police July 16-17,” he said.

He said medically unfit employees are exempted from the physical enrolment, noting however that Pension Desk Officers of the medically unfit employees are advised to come along with a letter from a suitably qualified physician or medical board certifying that the employee is no longer physically or mentally capable of carrying out the functions of his/her office.

Meanwhile, hundreds of employees from the MDAs turned out at the flag-off of the exercise with most of them applauding the commission for the initiatives.

They noted that with the verification exercise coming up several months before their retirement, the usual challenge that trailed collection of their contributions at retirement had been effectively taken care of.