Imported User:
Contrary to claims by pensioners that rather than ease their pains, the leadership of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTFT) inaugurated by the federal government, has caused them more pains than relief, the Alhaji Abdurasheed Maina-led team has emphatically stressed that it has never delayed processing payment of pensioners.
The task team in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND and signed by its spokesman, Mr. Salihu Hassan, explained that it does not control, approve, nor even have access to pension funds in whatever means or ways, but only examines arrears claims, after which it forwards same to the head of service for approval, and therefore wondered why allegations of deliberate delay was levelled against them.
According to the statement, pensioners’ arrears are being paid in batches after thoroughly vetting their claims, adding that they are about to pay the 21st batch of their benefits, and so urged them to exercise patience. “We are fighting their cause and so have no reason to punish them,’’ the statement said.
He added that the team’s scope of work was limited to processing pensioners’ entitlements in papers by ensuring that only genuine pensioners have access to pension funds in line with its mandate to sanitise the system.
