NNSL: PTAD gets approval to verify payment status of ex-workers

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

Contrary to reports that it deliberately delayed the verification process of ex-workers of Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), has said it had received approval from Minister of Finance to verify the payroll of the ex-workers. Executive Secretary of PTAD Sharon Ikeazor, in a statement on Sunday, said the clarification became necessary due to alleged misleading information by representatives of ex-workers of NNSL on the verification. According to Ikeazor, representatives of the ex-workers had issued information allegedly insinuating that PTAD had deliberately delayed their enrolment into the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). Ikeazor said the representatives had alleged that the delay on the verification was frustrating payment of N3 billion pension arrears owed to their members. She, however, said that the allegation was misleading noting that enrolling pensioners of defunct and privatised agencies was part of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. “The policy of government saw to the enrolment of pensioners of Delta Steel Company, NICON Insurance, Nigeria Reinsurance, New Nigerian Newspapers, NITEL, and MTEL. “All (are) agencies that were either privatised or liquidated by previous governments without contingency safety nets. “Plans are already underway for the verification and enrolment of qualified ex-workers of Savannah Sugar Company, Aluminum Smelter Company, Nigerian National Shipping Line and others as approved by the Minister of Finance. “In the case of NNSL, the approval for enrolment was received in April 2018, several months after the first set of agencies were approved,’’ Ikeazor explained. According to her, pre-verification for pensioners is a long and painstaking inter-ministerial process that requires the collection of data and digitisation of documents. She said the process required getting the authentic salary structure of the agency concerned, noting that the case of NNSL wasn’t an easy feat for the directorate.