PENSION Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has said names of 23,089 pensioners will be removed from its pension payroll.
According to PTAD in a letter titled, ‘Removal of Parastatals Pensioners That Did Not Undergo Verification From the Directorate’s Pension Payroll,” sent to the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Abuja, the list include names of 2,220 retirees of the former Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Secretary-General of NUP, Elder Actor Zal, told Newsden sources in Abuja that the NUP leadership would look at the list, scrutinise it and write a “strongly-worded” letter to PTAD on the need for them to be very careful and more than 100 per cent sure of what they are about to do.
He said, “we want them to be very sure that genuine pensioners are not removed from the payroll unjustifiably, because experience had shown us in the past that people’s names may be carelessly removed from the list of payroll by mistake or semblance.
“It is always very easy to remove names from payroll by these agencies, but reinstating them back becomes an issue, despite regular visits of the affected persons to show evidence of being alive, being verified, and doing thumbprinting. They will begin to write letters upon letters.
“This money we are talking about is people’s pensions, it is people’s lives. Somebody that does not have any other means of income and you just yank him off from the monthly payroll, how do you want him to survive? So, we are appealing to PTAD to be very sure, check and re-check before carrying out this assignment.”
