Disgruntled people who lost out from being appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) are against my reappointment as Executive Secretary, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme has said.
Ejikeme, said this while speaking with journalists yesterday.
She also said such persons were also not happy with the verification exercise by PTAD that led to the removal of over 50,000 ghost pensioners from payroll and the adjustment of inflated pension benefits by corrupt persons within pension offices of some government agencies in the past.
She stated that corruption that had been fought to a standstill under the old pension scheme; the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) was fighting back, especially because of her reappointment.
She said the corrupt elements in the pension system were determined to make her office unbearable hence the information making the rounds that pensioners were planning to protest.
She said genuine pensioners were happy with the work of the Directorate as many who were removed from payroll and replaced with ghost pensioners by the unscrupulous people had been brought back on payroll while others short paid are paid appropriately.
She added: “We deployed mobile verification to ensure no qualified pensioners are left uncaptured that has enabled us to eliminate over 50,000 ghost pensioners from the system.
“We carried out two major removals of ineligible people from the payroll of parastatal pensioners.
The first one was done in 2019, when we did an assignment with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System to ascertain people who have valid BVN and those who do not.
“When we did the removal, we created a complaint resolution channel for those who have genuine BVN to send their complaints to us. After the complaints came in, those that we have restored thousands back on payroll and we are saving millions daily from not paying pensions to those who do not have valid documentations.
“Through verification, PTAD has created a centralised database, complete with pensioners’ personal information, biometrics, and career documents. The database is the first of its kind in DBS history and as such its integrity is paramount,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, NUP has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reappointing Ejikeme as Executive Secretary of PTAD.
The NUP also distanced itself from the talk of protest against her reappointment.
This was contained in a statement signed by the NationaI President, NUP, Godwin Abumisi.
The NUP which is the umbrella body of pensioners in Nigeria noted that the recent reappointment was one borne out of merit as Ejikeme had in the last four years rejuvenated the hopes of pensioners all over the country by her leadership style and professional disposition to the job.
The statement read as thus: “I Chief Godwin Abumisi wish to commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President Federal Republic of Nigeria for the reappointment of Dr Chioma Ejikeme as the Executive Secretary of PTAD.
“This sterling reappointment is indeed well merited and gladdens the hearts of the over two hundred and fifty thousand pensioners managed by PTAD, considering the diligent work she has so ably done for the pensioners ensuring the prompt payment of our monthly pensions and attendance to other challenging issues in the last four years.
“I wish to state that in the NUP, there exists no objection to her appointment and any talk of protests against her reappointment exists in the hollow minds of persons obviously sponsored by arch enemies of the Nigerian pensioner. I hereby call on all members of the NUP to rally around Dr Ejikeme in order to ensure that she continues the good works of restoring the dignity of the Nigerian pensioner”, Abumisi maintained.
