Former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, on Sunday hailed the seamless nature of the ongoing Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) pension verification exercise in Enugu.

PTAD commenced a hitch-free biometric verification of retired civil servants who served in federal agencies, corporations and institutions, in two centres in Enugu metropolis on Monday.

Amucheazi, who retired from the Political Science Department of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), gave kudos to PTAD while speaking with newsmen shortly after going through the process of his own verification in Enugu.

He said that there had been a clear improvement in the exercise compared with how it was being done previously.

His words: “I am quite satisfied with the service rendered to me here by these young PTAD staff. They are very courteous and they attended to me, as well as other elderly people here, with tender care.

“The hall for the verification is made very conducive by air conditioners and enough seats to give some comfort to the pensioners.

“I also learnt that pensioners undergoing the exercise are served with daily launch, which is highly commendable.

“Today, I can see a clear departure from how pensions were previously verified in the country.

“The Federal Government, through PTAD, should keep it up as the senior citizens here deserve much better and quality service.”

Amucheazi, a one-time Pro-Chancellor of Anambra State University, now Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, also lauded the deployment of enough working hands, computer sets and other devices in each of the centres.

“Not just that there are enough capturing machines and computer sets; but we have young Nigerians in PTAD who are eager to work and assist these senior citizens.

“You can see that the process is moving seamlessly and fast to cover everyone here today,” he added.

News Express learnt that the ongoing nationwide exercise was to enable PTAD to have a comprehensive, accurate and reliable database for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

The database would also be used to address some irregularities in the system, including ghost worker syndrome, duplicate payments, over and under payments, among other needs.

It was also learnt that 270 agencies, including universities, other tertiary institutions, health institutions and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, were expected to be covered by the exercise.

Other agencies included are Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Postal Service, Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, Nigerian National Shipping Line and Assurance Bank, among others.

The exercise in Enugu ends on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

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