The Lagos state government on Tuesday announced the introduction of online verification exercise for pensioners in the state.
Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, revealed this to newsmen in Ikeja on Tuesday.
Ponnle said that the 2020 edition of the state’s bi-annual verification exercise for its retired officials usually known as ”I AM ALIVE” would now be held virtually.
She said that an online biometric and facial verification would replace the existing status quo, stating that the new approach is in line with government’s efforts to reduce the effects of COVlD-19 pandemic in the state and in compliance with physical distancing rule and protocol.
”This new initiative represents a total departure from the usual verification exercise whereby pensioners are expected to be physically present at their respective local government areas for the verification exercise and revalidation of their documents.
”The 2020 online biometric verification exercise of pensioners will now be done in the civil service pensions office with verification of all pensioners in batches of local government and local council development areas.
”Therein, selected staff will be assigned to conduct online interview from allocated telepoints/telecentres within the office for respective pensioners based on their local government areas.
”Let me also stress that optimal use of technology will form an integral part of the 2020 biometric verification exercise with the use of Zoom/Skype or any of the Cloud 1CT applications to replace the usual physical appearance of pensioners for the ”I Am Alive” validation session of the exercise,” she said.
The commissioner said that the modalities for the online verification involve pensioners using any of the specified online applications (Zoom/Skype) to have access to officials to verify their documents and to ascertain that they were alive.
Ponnle said that the ministry does not anticipate any hitches with the process, and was also not unmindful of the associated challenges with new initiatives, especially technologically-driven ideas.
She said that the ministry had plans in place to make the process seamless and orderly for the retirees, and therefore, called for the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders to make the first of its kind initiative achievable.
The commissioner assured the pensioners that due diligence would be followed from the beginning of the exercise to the end, assuring that pensioners would be carried along on the sensitisation concerning the online verification.
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She commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his thoughtfulness and compassion for pensioners in the state.
“The issue of COVID-19 pandemic would have been an excuse to put the exercise on hold, but the governor being a listening leader, approved the exercise for the pensions, in spite of other competing priorities of the state,” she said.
President of the Association of Lagos state Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ALAHOSPS), Mr. Ajibola Olagbaye, thanked Gov. Sanwo-Olu for his kindness toward the pensioners.
Olagbaye also commended the commissioner for the online verification initiative, which he said would be of immense benefit to the retirees.
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