The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), has appealed to the Federal Government to consider the impact of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) in its implementation of the Orosanye report aimed at curbing wastages, overlapping functions in the public service.
President of NUP, Comrade Godwin Abumisi made this appeal in a memorandum presented at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives special ad-hoc committee on the restructuring of federal government parastatals commissions and agencies on Wednesday in Abuja..
While noting that scrapping, merging or subsuming PTAD would only spell doom for pensioners in the country, appealed to the federal government to allow the Directorate to continue its functions or if at all, merge it with the National Pension Commission (Pencom).
While noting that the union was committed to ensuring the welfare of its members under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) managed by PTAD was not affected negatively, Abumisi added that NUP was worried and apprehensive that the only agency responsible for the welfare and well-being of pensioners under the DBS would be affected.
According to him, members of the union who retired from service before the introduction and implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), draw their monthly pension and other entitlements under the old Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS)
He said: ” The Pensioners’ Union as a body wishes to strongly appeal to the Federal Government through this platform of public hearing that PTAD should be spared of the sledgehammer of being scrapped, merged or subsumed under any ministry as contemplated/speculated, as we see this development as retrogressive and counter-productive which would spell doom for the federal pensioners who are already comfortable and breathing ‘fresh air’ under the management of PTAD.
“Rather, we advise that it should be encouraged to stay and build on its ongoing “I am Alive” innovation and scientific approach towards stabilizing and regularizing pension payment to the advantage and benefit of the pensioners.
“As the Committee on the review of the Orosanye report on the restructuring of Federal Government Agencies, Departments and Commissions winds up its assignment, the Union wishes to crave the indulgence of the House of Representatives Special Ad-hoc Committee on Restructuring, on whose instance this public hearing is being organized, to spare PTAD from the sledgehammer of the restructuring to save the Defined Benefit Scheme pensioners from going back to the horrible nightmare of the old order of oppression, depression and hopelessness.
“On the other hand, and better still, if PTAD cannot skip or escape the scrapping or the merger bombshell, we are of the strong opinion that the best place to merge it with for safe landing is the National Pension Commission (Pencom), which we so much believe and trust that it has the manpower, the technical know-how and the capacity to absorb it for effective management.”