Moses Uwagbale
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) says it paid gratuity and pension arrears to 414 Association of Retired War Affected Police Officers (ARWAPO) amounting to over N954 million.
The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, made this known at a stakeholders’ forum with ARWAPO in Enugu State on Thursday.
Ejikeme said that death benefits were paid to 145 Next of Kin (NoK) of the deceased pensioners amounting to over N149 million.
She explained that the retired war affected police officers were set of members of the Nigerian police force that took sides with the state of Biafra during the Nigeria Civil War and were dismissed in 1971.
Ejikeme said that they were later pardoned and granted amnesty by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 2000.
She said that in a bid to bring pension administration to the doorstep of the pensioners, PTAD periodically engages stakeholders to update them of the directorates past and ongoing activities.
Ejikeme said that also allowed the organisation the opportunity to interact with the pensioners one on one with a view to serve them better.
She said that the directorate was currently reviewing and computing all pending ARWAPO pensioners complaints in order to payroll them monthly for pension, payments of arrears and payment of NoK.
She also stated that the provision of documents by ARWAPO members required for qualification for benefits computation and payment had been a challenge.
“Meetings such as the one we are having today provide the opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas, provision of clarity regarding grey areas and information dissemination.”
The executive secretary noted that the meeting provided another opportunity for continuous discussion with ARWAPO members on the way forward, getting mandatory requirements for the remaining pensioners to ensure their benefits were paid.
“This is a very potent indication of the importance, seriousness and commitment the present administration attaches to the wellbeing of our senior citizens,” she added.
Ejikeme said that in spite of the COVID-19 challenges the directorate had been making progress in addressing pensioners issues and restoring hope, dignity and a decent living to a Defined Benefit Scheme Pension.
