By DeleOgbodo
The Executive Secretary (ES) of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, in this interview with journalists on Friday 30, April, 2021 raised the hope of government’s retirees whose pension have raised concern in recent times. Extraordinairepeople.com, captured the event at PTAD’s headquarter in Abuja. Excerpts:
QTN: Kindly explain in clear terms those that should expect the new payment?ANS: All the pensioners under the defined pension scheme. There is no exception. I repeat all our pensioners under the defined pension scheme.
QTN: Is there specific date that the payment will commence?
ANS: Like as I told you, this particular consequential adjustment is supposed to take effect from April oof 2019 and we are going to start paying from the month of May which starts from tomorrow and as soon as we get everything sorted out, we shall start paying subject to availability of funds.
If we have money to pay one year we will pay and as a matter of fact if we have enough money to pay for 12 months we will pay and if we have enough money to pay for the whole of the 20 months we will also pay. Suffice to say that before the end of this year we should be done with the arrears.
QTN: On further clarification on the defined benefit scheme
The defined benefit scheme is only funded treasury scheme that the government was operating before the pension reform of 2004, repealed and re-enacted in 2014 and it was wholly treasury funded but because of the non-sustainability of that defined benefit and with the dwindling natural resources the need arises to have a pension reform and this gave birth to the contributory pension scheme which is the scheme that we are now operating as that is the old order and the CPS is the new order.
Addressing the media earlier, she said acknowledged that government has given approval for the implementation of the consequential adjustment to the pension benefits occasioned by the new minimum wage which commenced in 2019.
Dr. Ejikeme, said: “The consequential adjustment of the new pension payment will start from May 2021 payroll. The arrears will take effect from April 2019.”
She stated that the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), has no reason to go on any protest, adding that PTAD is making the welfare and well-being of pensioners a priority to improve the quality of their lives.
She however warned pensioners to be wary of scammers as PTAD will not request for gratification from any pensioner before their money is paid into their account.