Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD has warned Nigerian pensioners against patronizing third parties during their pension verification, saying that most of them fall prey to fraudsters when they do so.
Barr Sharon Ikeazor, Honourable Minister of State for Environment and immediate past Executive Secretary of the directorate gave the advice to pensioners in Awka, Anambra State during the commissioning of the PTAD office in the State.
Ikeazor said, “The idea of a state liaison office is to bring our world-class pension services to the doorsteps of our pensioners and to discourage and or stop our senior citizens from travelling long distances to get their complaints or other issues resolved.
“We urge you to take advantage of the opening of this office. Do not patronize fraudsters, don’t engage anyone to do your verification for you. Most of the people you meet are fraudsters and they end up duping you.
“Do not deal with unauthorized persons in the name of facilitating the resolution of your complaint and payment of your pension entitlements. You stand the risk of falling prey to pension scammers and fraudsters if you do so.
“Here at PTAD, we are building a solid database for pensioners, so once you carry out your verification you will have no reason to do it again,” Ikeazor said.
She stated that that she hopes that in the nearest future, every state in the country will have a PTAD office, while also clarifying that she decided to be present at the opening of the Awka office, despite having been elevated to the office of the Minister of State for Environment because the event had been scheduled while she was still the Executive Secretary.
Earlier, the new Executive Secretary of PTAD, Mrs Chioma Ejikeme encouraged pensioners to always bring any issues relating to the payment of their pension to the office, saying that things have been made simple, and pensioners do not have to spend long time to get their issues resolved.
She said, “There used to be a time when people went with mates to do their pension verification, but that is no longer the case. There is now dignity in being a pensioner.
“We will not let our senior citizens suffer to get what they toiled for during their early days. Things have been made very easy now, and the opening of this office will further help pensioners in Anambra and save them from the risk of travelling to Abuja before they can get issues relating to their pension resolved.”
