PTAD to begin pension verification exercise for Nigerians in Diaspora

By Abdul Olalekan

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) will soon commence pension verification exercise for Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Executive Secretary, PTAD, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, who gave the hint when she visited the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja, said, she was in the SSA’s office to see how they can work together to flag off the pension scheme for the Nigerians in the Diaspora who had served the country before travelling abroad.

“They are our heroes and heroines who had worked for this country since independence and there is need to capture them in our pension scheme through verification and updating our data base,” she said.

Explaining that the Diaspora pensioners are Nigerians who had worked in the country and due for pension but did not collect their pension before going to abroad, she added that, “My coming is to see how we can partner with the office of SSA to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to enable us capture pensioners in the Diaspora so that we can have their accurate data base.”

She said PTAD wants to set up a portal that will enable them key into the scheme and enhance their verification process without necessarily coming into the country.

The PTAD boss said the agency would get the nominal roll of pensioners from the state government through which it can ascertain the state and the Federal share.

The directorate, she added, had suspended 15, 600 pensioners from its payroll due to lack of Bank Verification Number (BVN).

Ikeazor said the measure was part of the agency’s commitment to getting authentic database of pensioners and streamlining its payroll.

“This action was in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and commercial banks to obtain current status of bank account being used by pensioners to receive their pension payment,’’ she pointed out.

Responding, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa commended the PTAD boss for the unique efforts in capturing the Diaspora pensioners, as it has never happened before.

This measure, Dabiri-Erewa explained, would save Nigerians abroad the trouble of coming and going back for the collection of pension.

“The introduction of the scheme is an interesting news to the Diaspora and

we will work with our pensioners in the Diaspora because they deserve to receive their pension after meritorious serve to the country,” she said.