By Oluwaseun Sonde
The Executive Secretary, Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme has revealed that the "I Am Alive" online confirmation portal was deployed to ease Pensioners' stress of standing on a long queue for processing.
PTAD ES made this known during a training session organised by the Directorate for Union Executives and Pension Desk Officers (PDOs) in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) in Abuja recently.
Recalled that the “I AM ALIVE’’ online portal was inaugurated in October 2021 with fifty thousand Pensioners on board, as this process is basically to ascertain Pensioners' aliveness status.
According to Dr Ejikeme, the purpose for the training was to ensure that the Union Executives and PDOs could use the “I AM ALIVE’’ confirmation portal without any difficulties and a step toward preparing pensioners to be fully conversant with the use of the application.
While the Union Executives can assist pensioners to understand how to use the application, respond to basic enquirers and questions about the confirmation process.
"We believe that once Union Executives and PDOs can confidently use the application, they can support PTAD efforts to educate pensioners and provide guidance and hand holding where necessary for them to easily carry out their `I AM ALIVE’ confirmation", she said.
PTAD ES further explained that the training was also organised to explain why the Directorate deployed `I AM ALIVE’. "What we expect as the impact, benefits to be derived and what we see as likely challenges. We will demonstrate the entire I AM ALIVE confirmation process again and show a live demonstration, and also address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)".
She said the project was to make all the pensioners whom had served Nigeria enjoy their hard-earned pension without any hardship. "The tedious challenges, expensive field verification of the past would soon be a thing of the past with the portal.
"Pensioners must be able to confirm their aliveness from the comfort of their homes within the proximity of their residence. They should also be able to resolve complaints without unnecessary stress. We want them to be able to contact PTAD with ease and be treated with respect and dignity,” PTAD ES said.
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