By Victor Ahiuma-Young

THE National Pension Com-mission, PenCom,  is at present at various centres across the country enrolling and verifying prospective federal government employees that will be retiring between January and December 2019.

File: Medical outreach

In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Niger State, no fewer than  2,700 employees from FCT and Niger State are taking part in Abuja centre.

Mr Peter Aghahowa, the PenCom Head of Corporate Communications, said in Abuja that the Abuja centre was part of Phase II of the nationwide verification and enrollment programme.

He said the Phase II of the enrollment was ongoing in two other centres of Lagos and Ibadan, noting that Phase one had been concluded in 12 other centres across the nation. The exercise in Abuja has been on since July 30 and will end on August 17.

It is meant for Federal Government employees due to retire between January and December 2019. Their retirement is hinged on attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years in service whichever is earlier or 65 years by age for employees of tertiary institutions or 70 years of age for professors.

According to Aghahowa, the verification and enrollment were designed to facilitate payment of retirement benefits of the potential retirees.

He said the physical enrollment also covered those who had already retired, but were yet to be enrolled.

Aghahowa said affected employees were requested to attend with originals and copies of letter of appointment, evidence of transfer of service and acceptance letter where applicable.

Other documents are birth certificate or declaration of age, promotion letters, payslip indicating grade level and step as at June 2004. He said others included: “Promotion letter and payslip indicating grade level and step as at January, 2007, promotion letter and payslip indicating grade level and step as at July,2010. Promotion letter and payslip indicating grade level and step as at December 2013, Letter of introduction from the MDAs, staff identity card, letter or evidence of retirement where applicable, letter of indemnity from the MDA.”

The PenCom spokesman equally disclosed that prospective retirees were also requested to come with evidence of registration with a Pension Fund Administrator, PFA, indicating Retirement Savings Account, RSA, and Personal Identification Number, PIN.

Aghahowa said the MDAs were expected to send their Pension Desk Officers, PDOs, to identify potential retirees and confirm authenticity of the documents presented by the employees.

He, however, assured that potential retirees not medically fit were exempted from the exercise, informing that PenCom had earlier advised PDOs of medically unfit employees to present their documents and letters from qualified physician certifying that the affected employees were not capable of attending the exercise.

According to him, “the commission advises all prospective Federal Government retirees to take part in the exercise as it is a pre-condition for payment of their retirement benefits.”