Yemisi Izuora
Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Hassan Shekarau says the attestation by NITEL/Mtel pensioners of their verification exercise by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in Kano is an affirmation of the quality service rendered by the agency.
He said in Kano during a surprise visit to the centre where the pensioners from adjoining states in the north west gathered for the exercise, that the House will facilitate release of money to pay pensioners in the country.
The legislator who was there as part of oversight functions by the committee interacted with the pensioners and personnel of the agency to get a concrete proof that the process was in order.
Honourable Shekarau said he was pleased with the exercise as another example of the well-organized procedures embarked upon by the Directorate.
He assured that the House will support the Directorate to hasten budgetary process for funds to be released to pay the pensioners their entitlements, and advised the pensioners to be calm and exercise patience for this to come on stream.
The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor also monitored the exercise to ensure all is well with the exercise which involves review of the pensioners documents, scanning and biometric capture as well as ensuring quality assurance towards computation of their entitlements and to ensure their welfare is guaranteed, including maximum attention to those with health challenges.
The North West Zonal Chairman of NITEL Pensioners Association, Mr Samuel Johnson, who is an engineer said they are grateful to the Federal Government which approved the verification after they had waited for many years since retirement and affirmed they were going through the process smoothly.
The Chairman and Coordinator of the Association’s Kano Territory, Mohammed Ishaq also said their hope has been restored towards receiving the retirement benefits.
Another pensioner, Akomoh Francis who came from Gusau in Zamfara state where he has lived and worked for over thirty years said he was so pleased to have been verified, having been assured of a thorough exercise.
The Kano centre which opened on Monday like those in Gombe and Abuja with huge turnout of pensioners had attended to about one thousand of them in three days.
The centre will not open on Saturday due to the Kano State Local Government elections scheduled for the day but will reopen on Monday as scheduled.