Federal government pays 500 deceased NITEL/MTEL pensioners’ families N1.5 billion
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) at the weekend paid N1,565,190,623.12 to 500 next of kins of the deceased Nitel/Mtel pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
The Next of Kins (NoKs) who are beneficiaries of deceased Nitel/Mtel pensioners that died after service had completed the process of documentation and cleared for payment by auditors.
PTAD, Executive Secretary, Sharon Ikeazor, said the timely payment was achieved through diligent verification exercise conducted by the directorate to authenticate genuine Noks before payment was made.
She assured those who were yet to be paid of the directorate’s commitment to see that all NoKs received their entitlement.
Just last week, 177,703 pensioners were paid N6, 314,762,464.60 being six months arrears of the 33 percent pension increment.
According to Ikeazor, the money covers 101,393 Civil Service Pensioners on all grade levels and 76, 310 parastatals’ pensioners.
She noted that pensioners’ welfare remains a priority for the current administration.
PTAD had fully settled a backlog of the 33 percent pension arrears of the Customs, Immigration and Prisons as well as Police pensioners in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
The executive secretary further assured pensioners that the directorate was working with the Ministry of Finance as well as other relevant government agencies to clear the outstanding balance.