PTAD Disburses N846.14m Arrears, Gratuity to Pensioners

James Emejo in Abuja

The acting Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mr. Sulayman Shelleng, has said a total sum of N846.14 million had been paid to 2,730 pensioners of the Civil Service Pension Department as their accrued arrears and gratuity.

He said the arrears paid to the retirees ranged from previously verified pensioners not on the payroll, those who did not receive their gratuity on retirement, and failed payments on the GIFMIS platform.

Shelling, however, assured that the payment will continue until all accrued arrears are paid, urging other pensioners who are yet to receive their arrears to be calm as the directorate is working tirelessly to ensure that all outstanding arrears of pensions and gratuity are paid soon.

In a statement issued by PTAD’s Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Olugbenga Ajayi, Shelleng further assured DBS pensioners of the directorate’s continued strive to ensure that their welfare is given priority.

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is a wholly treasury-funded extra-ministerial agency supervised by the Federal Ministry of Finance and regulated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

Prior to PTAD’s establishment and the commencement of operations in August 2013, the DBS administration under the old pension offices faced overwhelming challenges. These challenges were an accumulation of a number of negative incidents and inactions on the part of the old pension offices that resulted in the absence of a comprehensive database of pensioners, reports of ghost beneficiaries, allegations of pervasive fraud, administrative bottlenecks in accessing pension services, poor funding of pension liabilities, as well as poor delivery of service to pensioners.

For many years, these challenges led to huge losses in government funds and ultimately denied many pensioners their pension benefits for decades while some of them paid the supreme price in the pursuit of their entitlements.

Essentially, PTAD’s operations and service delivery model were therefore designed to reform the marred history of pension administration in Nigeria, and to improve the provision of pension services to pensioners; some of who are among the oldest retired government workers.