The House of Representatives (Reps) on Tuesday adopted a motion titled ‘Need to Investigate the Non-payment of Pension Arrears of Retired Federal Civil Servants by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD)’. According to the motion, the Reps have invited the Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, Director General of the National Pension Commission, and the Executive Secretary of PTAD to appear before its Committees on Pension, Public Service Matters and Legislative Compliance to “provide explanations for the non-payment of pensions and gratuities to retired Civil Servants for nine months”.
The House mandated the Committees to ensure compliance and provide feedback within four weeks for further legislative action.
Sergius Ogun (Edo State, PDP) who submitted the motion said, “The House is disturbed by the claim that the failure of PTAD to pay pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme for the said period of nine months is as a result of technological glitches. The failure of PTAD to pay pensioners’ monthly pensions and gratuities based on technological glitches amounts to gross incompetence and ineffectiveness on the part of PTAD.
“The House is also cognisant that the claim by PTAD that the technological glitches, which caused it to be in arrears of pension and gratuities is in the domain of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) is unacceptable”.
According to him, the National Assembly is empowered by Section 88 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, with the right to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly.
