FCT Minister okays N512m for retirees
Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory ((FCT) Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, has approved N512 million for 132 retiring and deceased officers of six Area Councils and Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
The amount is for accrued rights and death benefits and covers mostly personnel who retired or died before the COVID-19 lockdown.
The approval is exclusive of the N6.1billion paid out by the FCT Administration to defray liabilities and entitlements of retirees of both Area Councils and LEAs within the last four years. A total of 1,464 persons benefited from the payments.
Director, FCT Area Council Staff Pension Board (ACSPB), Dr. Nanzing Nden made this known yesterday.
Nden said: “The claims were verified and presented to Dr. Aliyu for payment and she has graciously approved the payment and it’s being processed through the Treasury to their Pension Fund Administrators’ account.’
He said after the payment, the board will process files received after the easing of the lockdown for possible payment sometime in October or November this year, following which ‘’we intend to start real-time payment, those whose files are being brought to us, in advance of retirement.’’
The Director stated that he inherited huge pension and gratuity liabilities of N3.9 billion.
He, however, thanked God and FCT Minister Muhammad Bello, and the Minister of State, FCT for supporting him to turn the situation around.
“At the time I took over, the board had a pension liability of N3.9 billion in unpaid pension and accrued rights benefit. But over the period, we’ve been able to pay these liabilities and improve on the pay-out. Today, we’ve paid over N6.1 billion as accrued rights benefits and death benefit to 1,464 retired and deceased officers of the Area Councils and LEAs, over N1.2 billion as monthly pension. We have also implemented a Group Life assurance policy for staff under our management.”
