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By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja

House of Representatives, Tuesday, resolved to probe the non-payment of 9 months pension arrears to retired federal workers by Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

To this end, the House has invited the Head of Service of the Federation, Accountant General of the Federation, Director General of the National Pension Commission and the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to appear before its Committees on Pension and Public Service Matters and provide explanations for the non-payment of pensions and gratuities.

The resolution came on the heels of a motion titled “Need to Investigate the Non-payment of Pension Arrears of Retired Federal Civil Servants by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD)”, moved at the plenary by Hon. Sergius Ose Ogun.

Presenting the motion, Ogun said that  Section 32(b) of the Pension Reform Act Cap P4 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 saddled the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) with the responsibility of carrying out functions aimed at ensuring the welfare of pensioners.

“Pensioners under the defined benefits scheme of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) are reportedly owed monthly pensions and gratuities for a cumulative period of nine (9) months.

“The claim that the failure of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to pay pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme for the said period of nine (9) months is as a result of technological glitches.

“The failure of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to pay pensioners’ monthly pensions and gratuities based on technological glitches amounts to gross incompetence and ineffectiveness on the part of PTAD.

“The claim by PTAD that the technological glitches which caused it to be in arrears of pension and gratuities is in the domain of the Accountant General of the Federation and Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) is unacceptable”, Ogun said.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Pension, Public Service Matters and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance with this resolution and report back within 4 weeks for further legislative action.