By Ahmad Umar
Gombe(Nigeria)-Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate ,PTAD has commenced verification of over 900 former employees of NITEL and MTEL in Gombe northeast of the country, to clear their pension arrears.
The Management of the Directorate disclosed in a statement made available to Journalists on Wednesday at the Federal College of Education, Gombe venue of the exercise.
According to the management, the directorate received authority to gather relevant information on the nature and status of outstanding pension liabilities of the pensioners from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).
It explained that the verification would go through some processes and auditing at various levels before payment would be made.
The verification, which commenced on Jan. 15, would be carried out simultaneously in seven centers of Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Gombe, Abuja, Lagos 1 and Lagos 2 for eight days at each center and that pensioners are expected to come with all items specified in media advertorial s.
“Next of Kins should also come with documents specified in the adverts.”
The Management said the directorate had collected phone numbers and contacts of sick pensioners, adding that it would do mobile verification for them by going to wherever they were to capture them.
Some of the pensioners who spoke to Journalists during the exercise commended the Federal government for taken steps to clear arrears of their retirements and pension benefits like other retired civil servants in the country.
Mangus Umaru Babasanda from Borno state who served as chief security officer in charge of northeast zone, said they have long waited for their retirements benefits and some have already lost hope on it.
“This exercise started on Monday and I was verified today, we the pensioners are commending the Federal Government and PTAD for the way in which the exercise is being conducted is good because it was orderly and food is even served to us.
” My expectations is immediately after the verification we would get our benefits in sha Allah.
Also speaking the Gombe State Permanent Secretary in Pension Bureau, Zainab Haruna commended officials of PTAD for organizing the exercise in an orderly manner.
“I am happy on how pensioners responded to the exercise, I was here on Monday and today Wednesday, pensioners have been cooperative”, she added.
She expressed hope that at the end of the verification, the pensioners will get their benefits so that their tension will calm down.
