The Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has carried out the verification of 4,370 pensioners in four states of the troubled North-East zone.

The Public Affairs Department of the Agency in Abuja said on Sunday that the exercise was carried out in Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe states.

He added that the 4,370 civil service pensioners, whose biometrics were captured, represented nearly 75 per cent of the projected number of pensioners in the four states.

The agency said that the pensioners, who did not have their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) during the exercise, were given on-the-spot assistance to go to the banks and obtain the BVN in line with the transparency initiative of the Executive Secretary of the directorate, Ms Sharon Ikeazor.

The statement said that the directorate visited hospitals in the four states to capture pensioners that were indisposed.

The directorate said 9,000 pensioners who did not have their BVN details were weeded out of the records of PTAD across board.

“We are not only determined to clean up the books in line with the zero-tolerance initiative of the President, we are poised to remove the negative perception which the Directorate has suffered before this new administration.

“We will continue to insist that the right things are done in a manner that will enhance the operations of the Directorate to meet its core mandate to pensioners.”

The directorate stated that plans are ongoing to carry out verification of pensioners in Borno and Yobe states.

The directorate also said that it would carry out the exercise in the South-South, South-East and South-West zones in the first quarter of 2017 in order to have a comprehensive database of pensioners nationwide.

“The agency’s intention primarily is to ensure that no one pensioner is left out in the exercise.

“We try as much as possible to go the extra mile to ensure that every eligible pensioner is captured in our database.

“That is the only way to ensure equity and all-inclusiveness.

“Pension right is human right. It is not a favour for the average pensioner but a right which is guaranteed in the1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” (NAN)