PTAD Moves To End Expensive Field Verification Of Pensioners

Executive secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) Dr Chioma Ejikeme has said pensioners under the old defined benefit scheme will no longer have to suffer stress or delay to be verified for payment of pensions.

The PTAD Boss said with the introduction of “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution, pensioners under PTAD will no longer go through the sufferings and, sometimes, death while waiting for verification exercises.

She made the remarks at a training for union executives and pension desk officers on the use of the application. The training on how to use the application for verification is a critical step towards preparing the pensioners to be fully conversant with the use of the application.

“The “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution is the crucial step that we have to make in our journey to ensuring that all our esteemed pensioners, senior citizens who have served this country, can enjoy their hard-earned pensions without the hardships of the past.

“The tedious, challenging and expensive field verification exercises of the past must end. Pensioners must be able to confirm their aliveness from the comfort of their homes, or at the very least, within close proximity to their residences. They should also be able to resolve their complaints without unnecessary stress.

“This project and all others we have implemented in the past, have been designed to make life easier for our pensioners, accord them due respect and dignity. I therefore urge you to please sit back, be attentive and fully participate in this training program,” Dr Ejikeme who was represented at the Abuja event by the director, corporate services, Mallam Sani Mustapha said.

PTAD believes that once the union executives and PDOs are able to confidently use the application, they can support efforts to educate all the pensioners and provide guidance and hand-holding where necessary for them to easily carry out their “I AM ALIVE” confirmation.

The training programme is designed to ensure that the union executives and desk officers can use the “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution without any difficulty. Those trained are expected to assist other pensioners in understanding how to use the application, and be able to respond to basic enquiries and questions about the confirmation process.

The three-day training is being held for pension desk officers and pension union executives from the South-South, South-East and South-Western parts of the country.

In June this year, PTAD trained the union executives and pension desk officers in the North-Central, North-Western, and the North-Eastern zones of the country. The aim is to make them to be on the same page as regards the “I Am Alive” confirmation solution before the final rollout.

The director, pension support services department in PTAD, Mrs Nneka Mbamalu told the participants that the platform has end-to-end security and well protected from fraudulent manipulations. She however warned them to be careful of fraudsters who are always bent on manipulating the system.

“We don’t ask for any requirement more than PTAD pensioner number and account number,” Mbamalu said, adding: “Anybody that asks you for your BVN, person pin or whatever private details is a scammer, don’t give them.”