A total of 332,903 pensioners and the next-of-kins of deceased pensioners were paid N96bn between July 2019 and August 2020, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate said on Wednesday.
PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Nnenna Ejikeme, said this during a press briefing at the headquarters of the directorate in Abuja.
She said the N96bn was paid to pensioners across all operational departments of the directorate.
Providing a breakdown, Ejikeme said, “The sum of over N77bn was paid as monthly pension payments to 244,643 pensioners as at July 2020.
“Pensioners numbering 87,842 were paid arrears and gratuities of over N19bn, while the sum of over N670m was paid to 418 next-of-kins of deceased pensioners.”
She noted that the payments included the balance of 33 per cent arrears for the parastatal pensioners which had been outstanding since 2010.
Ejikeme said the payments were made in full to the pensioners and next-of-kins of pensioners in November/December 2019.
On payments of inherited liabilities, the PTAD boss said the directorate paid various groups of pensioners to reduce the liabilities.
She outlined the groups/agencies that were paid to include pensioners of New Nigeria Newspapers, NICON Insurance, Nig-Reinsurance, Delta Steel Company, NITEL and NAHCO.
Ejikeme noted that after the conclusion of the nationwide Parastatals Pensioners’ Verification Exercise in November 2019, a total of 21,227 pensioners on the payroll were found to have not been verified.
She said, “PTAD has sent the list of these pensioners to the pension unions and the information is also on PTAD website to enable pensioners who are on the list and alive to make themselves available for verification.
“Deceased and unresponsive pensioners on the list will be removed from the payroll from October 2020.”
She also stated that the NIBSS BVN validation exercise done by the directorate in 2019 led to the suspension of 5,834 pensioners from the payroll.
“However, 2,416 of those removed have been restored after undergoing positive review and validation,” she added.
Ejikeme stated that out of the 12 insurance underwriters identified to be in custody of legacy funds and assets of the directorate, PTAD had filed an action in court for the assets recovery against four of the firms.
She said two out of the four cases had been decided in favour of the directorate.