Digital verification of retirees to commence in July, says PenCom

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has said that it would commence digital verification and enrolment of prospective retirees in the South-West region before the end of the first week of July 2021.
 
Commissioner, Technical, PenCom, Anyim Nyerere, disclosed this during a workshop for Pension Desk Officers (PDOs) of the Treasury-Funded Ministries, Department, and Agencies of the Federal Government on the Online Enrolment Application (OEA) for the enrollment of prospective retirees.
 
Nyerere said the verification and enrolment would begin after the pension desk officers had been adequately trained on the operation of the OEA, noting that the training would equip the PDOs with the knowledge to guide prospective retirees to complete the information on the online enrolment application form.

He said the PDOs would also ensure that retirees’ information submitted by the Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) is accurately completed in line with the online enrolment guidance notes.
 
“This exercise will equip them with the requisite knowledge on how the Retiree Registration Module (RRM) operates for the smooth implementation of the OEA,” he said.
  
Nyerere said the online enrolment application had the capabilities to register, verify and enrol workers due for retirement from service between January and December 2021.
  
The commissioner attributed the adoption of digital verification for employees under the Federal Government treasury-funded MDAs to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the application also can compute retirees’ benefits.

“PenCom regrets its inability to conduct physical annual pre-retirement enrolment due to the need to observe necessary safety measures as directed by the government.
 
“The commission decided to conduct this exercise so as not to affect the validation and determination of the accrued pension liabilities of future retirees for government budgetary purposes.
 
“So, the online platform allows future retirees to log on to the website and register with their details on the RRM,” he added.

In his remarks, Head, Contribution and Bond Redemption Department, Abdulrahman Salem, said physical verification and enrollment exercise might not face out 100 per cent but is going to be minimal. 
 
He said the retirees would have the ability to register anywhere in the world, while their data and information would go to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) online in real-time.
  
“The only thing they will have to do at the PFA is just to go for capture to make sure they are the ones and this can be done at any branch office of the PFA’s that are spread all over Nigeria.