Obinna Chima
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has received a pledge of partnership from the Lagos State government to provide logistics support for the verification of Lagos state pensioners with federal establishments.
The partnership is to facilitate the payment of benefits and entitlements of retirees in the state.
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Civil Service Pensions Office, Mrs. O.A Balogun, during a visit to the acting Director General/Executive Secretary of PTAD at the agency’s head office in Abuja yesterday.
A statement signed by the Head, Corporate Communications, PTAD, quoted Balogun to have conveyed the state government’s commitment to providing logistic support to enable PTAD conduct the verification of all pensioners with federal share in the state.
While presenting a nominal roll of Lagos state pensioners with federal share to the management of PTAD, Balogun noted that “conducting the verification exercise will enable PTAD resolve issues of non-payment and short payment to pensioners, and the reconciliation of any outstanding obligation on the part of the Federal government.”
According to her, “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is fully committed to ensuring that pensioners in Lagos state are paid their full entitlements.”
This, she said was evidenced by the payment of about N14 billion to pensioners since his government assumed office just over a year ago, at a time when other states are struggling to pay salaries.
In his response, the acting DG/Executive Secretary of PTAD, expressed delight at the offer of support from the Lagos state government which he said would “go long way in making PTAD’s work easier.”
“Pension administration in Nigeria would have registered greater success if all state governments were willing to support and collaborate with PTAD as the Lagos state government is offering to do,” he said.
With this development, the next phase of PTAD’s nationwide verification of civil service pensioners will commence in Lagos on a date to be jointly agreed.
