30th November, 2016
Retired Federal civil servants currently undergoing verification in Bauchi say the facilities placed at their disposal at the venue had made the exercise less stressful.
Some of them on Wednesday, described the arrangement as ‘dignifying’ considering past experience of ‘shoddy’ treatment meted out to retirees.
They said that in spite of the multiple stages involved in the verification, it took minimum time for individuals to complete the process.
Alhaji Muhammad Maishanu, a former Head of Service in Bauchi, said that the exercise was coordinated in a way that retirees were “comfortably seated under canopies”.
According to him, this development is contrary to what was obtainable in the past when pensioners had to queue under the heat of the sun, with some collapsing and even dying.
He also observed that transition from one point to the other in the course of the verification was rancor-free.
Hajiya Aisha Ahmed, who retired as Assistant Director, said the adequate arrangement made by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) was an indication of the interest the Federal Government had in the welfare of pensioners.
She noted in particular, the large number of PTAD staff deployed for the exercise, thereby fast-tracking the process and reducing stress.
Another pensioner, Alhaji Hudu Mohammed, said that the exercise was designed to address all complaints as indicated by the forms they were given to fill.
“Unlike previous exercises that placed emphasis on detection of ghost pensioners to enable the government save money, this one treats everything, including underpayment of entitlements,” he said.
Also barring her mind on the exercise, Mrs Monica Daniel said that it was being conducted in a manner that none of them would suffer.
She commended the idea of decentralizing the venues as against the past practice of inviting pensioners to Abuja or few designated venues.
NAN reports that the verification of pensioners in the North East that served in core Federal Ministries is being conducted simultaneously in Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba states.
Borno and Yobe states had been stood-down and a date would be fixed for theirs in due course.