The announcement was made by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

Dr. Edu revealed that President Bola Tinubu had emphasized the importance of including vulnerable pensioners in the National Social Register and providing them with financial support through the CCT.

This commitment was made during the President’s Independence Day speech, where he pledged N25,000 for 15 million households for a duration of three months.

The minister expressed the government’s desire to expand the national social register to encompass vulnerable pensioners as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She called on the NLC to assist in the swift collection of data for these potential beneficiaries, ensuring that they can begin receiving CCT payments as early as November.

Dr. Edu commended the NLC’s leadership for their cooperative approach and stressed the importance of collective efforts in moving Nigeria forward.

She encouraged the NLC to maintain faith in the Tinubu Administration’s commitment to addressing the needs of vulnerable groups in the country.

The Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Dr Chioma Ejikeme, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

Following this approval, Ejikeme noted that the PTAD had been empowered to start the upward adjustment of all pensioners’ benefits according to the approved template.

She, further disclosed that the adjustment of the new pension payment would commerce from May 2021 adding that the payment of the arrears would cover the period of the implementation of the minimum wage.

“The arrears from April 2019 will be paid along with the pensioners’ monthly benefit starting from May 2021 payroll,” she said.

She said that on April 22, a statement was released to inform the public of the President’s sincerity to implement the consequential adjustment on the pension benefits through PTAD.

“I emphasise that the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has no reason to go on protest because the matter has been finalised.

“True to that statement, we are here today to confirm that the consequential adjustment will be implemented from May 2021 payroll.

“As a responsible agency of government saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the payment of pension benefits to pensioners under the DBS and their welfare, we are encouraged to do more for our pensioners.

“And we will continue to strive to improve the quality of their lives,” she said.

Barr Sharon Ikeazor, Honourable Minister of State for Environment and immediate past Executive Secretary of the directorate gave the advice to pensioners in Awka, Anambra State during the commissioning of the PTAD office in the State.

Ikeazor said, “The idea of a state liaison office is to bring our world-class pension services to the doorsteps of our pensioners and to discourage and or stop our senior citizens from travelling long distances to get their complaints or other issues resolved.

“We urge you to take advantage of the opening of this office. Do not patronize fraudsters, don’t engage anyone to do your verification for you. Most of the people you meet are fraudsters and they end up duping you.

“Do not deal with unauthorized persons in the name of facilitating the resolution of your complaint and payment of your pension entitlements. You stand the risk of falling prey to pension scammers and fraudsters if you do so.

“Here at PTAD, we are building a solid database for pensioners, so once you carry out your verification you will have no reason to do it again,” Ikeazor said.

She stated that that she hopes that in the nearest future, every state in the country will have a PTAD office, while also clarifying that she decided to be present at the opening of the Awka office, despite having been elevated to the office of the Minister of State for Environment because the event had been scheduled while she was still the Executive Secretary.

Earlier, the new Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs Chioma Ejikeme encouraged pensioners to always bring any issues relating to the payment of their pension to the office, saying that things have been made simple, and pensioners do not have to spend long time to get their issues resolved.

She said, “There used to be a time when people went with mates to do their pension verification, but that is no longer the case. There is now dignity in being a pensioner.

“We will not let our senior citizens suffer to get what they toiled for during their early days. Things have been made very easy now, and the opening of this office will further help pensioners in Anambra and save them from the risk of travelling to Abuja before they can get issues relating to their pension resolved.”

Source: Dailypost