By Dipo Olowookere
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to formulate policies that would ease the hardships commonly passed through in Nigeria by pensioners.
Mr Buhari, speaking on Monday in Abuja, assured that his administration’s reforms will ensure that Nigerians who spent the productive years of their lives serving the nation will not experience difficulties in getting their pensions.
The President said he was aware of the bottlenecks some pensioners go through before getting what belongs to them, but vowed to ease the hardships.
Mr Buhari, while receiving the Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) at the State House, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, directed a speedy completion of the ongoing nationwide verification of pensioners.
He stressed that the exercise was necessary because the success of the administration’s goal of putting in place an efficient pension scheme hinged on the availability of a reliable database.
In a presentation to the President, Barrister Ikeazor said the PTAD management was determined to restore dignity to pensioners by protecting their funds and paying their entitlements promptly.
The Executive Secretary also said that in line with the anti-corruption posture of the current administration, the PTAD has put measures in place to ensure accountability, compliance with regulations and zero-tolerance for corruption.
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