MEDIATRACNET
The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), says it was ready to unveil its “I Am Alive” confirmation to pensioners exercise nationwide before the end of 2022.
The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Chioma Ejikeme, disclosed this at the end of a three-day confirmation training for Pension Union Executives and Pension Desk Officers (PDOs) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ejikeme said PTAD began the pilot phase of the confirmation solution in October 2021, with 50,000 pensioners randomly selected from the four operational departments in the directorate.
The pilot phase, she said, has been successfully completed with observed hiccups fixed.
She said the “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution exercise was introduced to enable PTAD to continuously update its pensioners database through a digital process.
Ejikeme also said the exercise was meant to ascertain verified pensioners that were alive and should continue to receive their monthly pension.
She said the digital platform would be deployed for nationwide use.
”The aim of PTAD gathering the PDOs and union executives from the South East zone is to train them on the “I AM ALIVE” solution as an innovation using technology that will henceforth allow them to engage in verification at the comfort of their homes.
”The pensioners don’t have to travel anywhere. They can just do the confirmation with laptop computer system or their phones,” Ejikeme said.
She said the PTAD was making efforts to create both appropriate and adequate awareness in order to get the project to be successful.
”It is appropriate to train some people who are going to help these people with their verification.
”So, what we are doing now is to train the focal persons who will help us within the community to help these pensioners confirm their aliveness in the event that they cannot do it for themselves,” she said.
Ejikeme said that the “I AM ALIVE” verification was for pensioners already verified and are on the database and on the payroll of PTAD.
”Those pensioners that are not verified cannot be confirmed and they are advised to go for their verification first before they can be confirmed alive,” she said.
The “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution exercise, Ejikeme said, was the crucial step taken in the directorate’s journey to ensure that all its esteemed pensioners enjoy their hard-earned pensions without stress.
This project and all others the Commission has implemented in the past, she said, have been designed to make life easier for pensioners, accord them due respect and dignity.
When the “I AM ALIVE” confirmation solution was fully deployed, she said pensioners would be verified in batches to avoid congestion.
She said that pensioners could be categorised into various groups for confirmation.
A pensioner, Chuks Eunice, said the initiative was a welcome development that would help to avoid risks among others.
She commended the directorate for paying her pension as and when due.
”I have confirmed my aliveness and I used a laptop but it was not easy for me, but I can use my phone better, with the help of this training, things are made easier now. (NAN)
