NNSL pensioners flay PTAD over payment of N3b arrears

Pensioners in the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) have flayed the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) over the non-payment of N3 billion pension arrears to it members.They appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to save them from untold hardship and untimely death.

Thy said the entitlements are made up of five years pensions arrears, including 33 per cent of payment made in 2008.At a peaceful protest in Lagos yesterday, the retirees called on PTAD and the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure quick verification and their payment this month, as over 200 of their members have died due to lack of care.President of the NNSL Pensioners Welfare Association (PWA), Patrick Ogobuegwu, said their woes began when the finance ministry directed PTAD to carry out due diligence and verification and inclusion in the monthly payroll.

But it has not yielded any dividend, as PTAD has continued to play on their intelligence, making them look stupid, he said.The pensioners expressed regrets that their hopes have been dashed with the ugly and unfortunate treatment meted in them by PTAD.

According to them, 28 months after President Buhari approved their re-instatement to pension payroll in September 2016, it took 20 months for their files to be moved to Abuja, and another 10 months after the Federal Ministry of Finance had directed PTAD to verify and pay them their entitlements on April 19, 2018.

“NNSL is the fore runner among other parastatals liquidated and the pensioners’ strength is currently about 800, with a total estimate of pension arrears of about N3 billion,” the pensioners said.