PTAD eyes July 21 for para-military retirees’ verification

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has finalised plans to conduct final verification exercise for retired men and officers of three para-military organisations. The exericise, which follows the implementation of the 33 per cent pension increment and captured in the 2015 budget, will involve the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Ngerian Prisons. A source at PTAD informed New Telegraph that the verification exercise to be conducted at designated locations across the country had been slated for July 21. He, however, declined to give a specific figure on how much the 33 per cent increase would cost government. The source said that the planned verification exercise, which entails gathering data and relevant information of the affected pensioners, would determine the cost.

He said: “I can’t give a figure now because verification is still on-going. What is certain is that the 33 per cent increase is captured in 2015 budget and as soon as budget releases are approved, it would be paid.” The source also emphasised the commitment of PTAD management to stick to prompt payment of the arrears as soon as budgetary release is effected. Last month, PTAD conducted a supplementary verification exercise for all unverified police pensioners who retired on or before June 2007.

The exercise was conducted between May 25 and June 1, 2015, in Abuja for pensioners who did not participate in an earlier nationwide verification exercise concluded in March 2015. It came on the heels of post-verification analysis, which revealed that 3,326 police pensioners on PTAD’s payroll did not turn up to be captured. The development prompted the removal of the names of the unverified police pensioners from PTAD’s payroll and payment of their pensions suspended as from May, pending the outcome of the supplementary exercise. The 33 per cent increase was approved by the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. It was, however, not captured in the 2014 budget due to cash flow challenges.