Yesterday, Monday the 1st of October the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) began verification exercise for NICON Insurance, Nigeria Re-Insurance Corporation, Nigerian Defence Academy (civilians) and New Nigerian Newspapers as a prelude to paying them their entitlements. The exercise held simultaneously in the Federal capital territory, Lagos and Kaduna.
A former staff of NICON Insurance, also the Chairman, Pensioners Pressure Group; Mr. Awa Nmaju said;
“Our pension has not been paid in the last 12 years and we have been struggling to see that we get paid. Eventually PTAD has done a great job arranging this verification exercise for us. A journey that started from 2005 till date; it’s not a small journey but we are relieved as soon as our case was transferred to PTAD, a lot of attention has been given to it especially with the coming on board of the new Executive Secretary of PTAD Sharon Ikeazor, she has done a great job for us”
The last thirteen years have been especially difficult for the former staff of NICON Insurance and Nigeria Re-Insurance Corporation after the companies were privatized. They had since been waiting to be compensated for their active years of service. The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor, declared the exercise open on Monday at the PTAD headquarters in Abuja and said it would last for six days. The pensioners are excited and hopeful that this process would be a stress free one.