About N20 million in excess payments in the police pension account has been discovered by the federal government, through the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) while putting into motion, plans to verify over 100, 000 civil service pensioners so as to clean up the payroll which it suspected could have ghost beneficiaries.
Director General of PTAD, Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, noted that the agency which would undertake the verification had already worked out modalities to have anti-graft agencies represented at every verification centers.
“What we inherited from police pension for example is in excess of N30 billion, but that is less than N10 billion now because a lot of it was bogus. Yes, that helped us to know that yes, we are owing money but the truth of the matter is that it is not quite that as it was made to seem. That is the value of the verification exercise,” she said.
Mayshak stated that pensioners nationwide would be “divided into seven batches, and the verification is expected to kick-start on November 2 with pensioners in the northwest geopolitical zone.
“The verification is expected to commence in the southeast by 23rd November while other would be conducted next year.
“I can say to you without any contradiction that you are in good hands. We are more charged to look after your welfare; you are the priority of this government, we have been able to bring back dignity to pensioners. We are determined to create an environment that is conducive for you. This is the last verification that you will be required to do.
“To ask you to come out with papers that you were given years ago is unacceptable and I promise that this is the last time we are going to do this. We will make sure you don’t suffer the challenges of coming to do this again”
Leave a Reply