PMB: The Pensioners’ President
The Buhari Administration is prioritising the payment of long-overdue pensions to staff of defunct/privatised government agencies:
Delta Steel Company: Liquidated in 2005. Following the completion of verification and computation of benefits, 3,542 pensioners have now been placed on the Payroll, ending a 13-year wait.
Federal Housing Authority: 640 pensioners payrolled
Nigerian Defence Academy (Civilians): 79 pensioners payrolled
Nigeria Reinsurance: 284 pensioners payrolled
NICON Insurance: Verification and computation of benefits concluded for 917 pensioners; payrolling and monthly payment commences September 2018
NITEL: Verification and computation concluded for 9,216 pensioners; payrolling and monthly payment commences October 2018
Nigeria Airways: President Buhari approved the release of N24 billion in September 2018, for the settlement of 50% of the benefits of Nigeria Airways workers disengaged when the airline was liquidated in 2003.
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has successfully recovered cash and non-cash pension assets totalling N16 billion previously trapped in various insurance companies and underwriters managing the pension funds of Federal Parastatals and Universities. Work is ongoing to recover outstanding assets.
In 2017, President Buhari approved the payment of pensions to War-Affected Retired Police Officers (WARPO) — these are Biafran Police Officers that were dismissed by the Federal Government in 1971 after the Civil War ended. These Officers were pardoned by President Obasanjo in 2000, but their pensions remained unpaid until 2017 when President Buhari approved and funded the payment. The sum of N571.56 million was paid as gratuity and arrears to a total of 174 WARPO in October 2017.
Other key achievements, 2016–2018:
Completed verification of more than 109,000 civil service pensioners across Nigeria
Strict implementation of Bank Verification Number (BVN) to clean up the Pension Payroll, resulting in the removal of 19,000 unqualified pensioners.
Payment of 33% pension arrears due to the following categories of pensioners: Police — full payment (42 months); Paramilitary (Customs, Immigration and Prisons) — full payment (42 months); Civil Service (12 months outstanding); Parastatals (24 months outstanding)
12,288 Civil Service Pensioners have been added to the Payroll between December 2017 (when the nationwide verification of Civil Service pensioners was concluded) and July 2018.
