PTAD promises inclusion of eligible pensioners in ‘I am Alive’ process

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, has affirmed that all pensioners who are alive will not be left out in the ongoing “I Am Alive” confirmation process, which will determine a pensioner’s eligibility to continue to receive pension.

Dr.Ejikeme made the assertion at the PTAD two- day South East Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum recently held in Awka, Anambra State.

Launched on twelfth October 2022 with a successful pilot phase, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate fully rolled out and staggered the “I Am Alive” confirmation process till February 28 2024, to prevent heavy flow of traffic on the website, and ensure efficient and effective service delivery.

She assured that PTAD, is determined to change the narrative in pension administration and has trained Pension Desk Officers from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, pensioners as well as representatives of pension unions on the use of the application; to assist pensioners who are unable to carry out the confirmation on their own.

Dr Chioma Ejikeme said the organization’s determination to change the narrative as far as pension administration under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) in Nigeria is concerned, is irrevocable.

According to Dr. Ejikeme, PTAD is confident that President Bola Tinubu, given his well-known and commendable antecedents in pension matters, will continue to make pension payment a first-line charge.

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“We have already started witnessing continued prompt payment of monthly pensions to our esteemed pensioners. We cannot afford to go back to the time when the DBS pensioners were owed months of pension arrears and their needs pushed to the back-burner.

“It is pertinent to note that PTAD has intentionally and consistently been working on achieving positive and sustainable change in the DBS Pension management for the almost 10 years of its operation.

“You may recall that the Defined Benefit Scheme in the past was fraught with allegations of fraud, corruption and inefficiencies prior to the establishment of the Directorate.

“However, the processes and controls that have been put in place since the establishment of PTAD have contributed immensely to the change being witnessed today in the management of the defined benefit pension scheme.”

Dr. Ejikeme cautioned pensioners against patronizing fraudsters, noting that they seem to have kicked off their activities again as there are reports of pensioners being called by people pretending to be PTAD staff and soliciting funds from pensioners to enable their entitlements to be paid.

“No staff of PTAD will call or send any message to you requesting for payment or ask you to call a certain phone number before your arrears or gratuity will be paid,” she warned.

Dr. Ejikeme announced that a survey is being carried out by the Directorate onwww.ptad.gov.ng to ascertain the number and locations of pensioners in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom; to enable the Directorate plan for diaspora verification.

On her part, the Director, Pensioner Support Service Department of the Directorate, Mrs. Nneka Obiamalu, said the directorate paid N754bn to pensioners in seven years.

Obiamalu said “some of the problems the organisation encountered were aggressive nature of pensioners as a result of lack of trust and not knowing the identity of pensioners.”

Meanwhile, Barrister Sunny Osuagwu, a retired permanent secretary who spoke on “Life after Retirement” advised pensioners to always categorize their expenses and learn to be financially independent after retirement by engaging in small trades.