Pension: NITEL/MTEL ex-workers now in PTAD payroll

By Kingsley Okoye

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has included 9,125 ex-workers of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL, to its monthly pension payroll.

A statement by management of PTAD in Abuja on Saturday disclosed that the addition of the pensioners to the payroll was coming after 12 years of uncertainty post privatisation of NITEL/MTEL.

PTAD said the inclusion of the ex-workers was in fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment in ensuring that all pensioners get their entitlements.

PTAD also announced that payments to 1,385 Next of Kins of deceased pensioners would follow shortly as soon as the Directorate concludes the computation of the deceased pensioners’ benefits.

The directorate also noted that it has so far verified and recently pay-rolled Delta Steel Company (DSC), Nigeria Reinsurance and NICON Insurance pensioners.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that PTAD Executive Secretary, Ms Sharon Ikeazor, had in August, assured the ex-workers that they would be put on the monthly payroll for onward payment of their pensions for life.

Ikeazor had said that the greatest injustice was not to pay workers their wages after meritorious service to their father land.

She had assured pensioners that payment of their pension arrears would be made as soon as funds are allocated and released to the directorate.

PTAD had between Jan. 15 to Jan. 26 carried out the verification of pensioners of NITEL and MTEL under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

The exercise was conducted across the six geo-political zones of the country.