By Stanley Nwanosike
Business centre operators, who have photocopy machines, are currently making brisk business in two centres where Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) pension verification is ongoing in Enugu.
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who is monitoring developments at the centres on Tuesday, observed that many of the retired senior citizens being verified throng photocopy centres to duplicate most of their credentials as demanded by PTAD.
NAN recalls that PTAD commenced a hitch-free biometric verification of retired civil servants, who served in federal agencies, corporations and institutions, in two centres in Enugu metropolis on Monday.
A business centre operator, Mrs Ngozi Okenwa, said that business of making photocopies had improved, adding that she made over N6,000 alone from making photocopies on Monday.
Okenwa, whose business centre is located at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Hall, one of the centres for the verification, said that her experience today (Tuesday), was same as Monday.
“It seems today, I will make more sales since the number of customers for photocopy duplicates keep increasing and I have been attending to them since morning,”she said.
Another business centre operator, Mr Chibuike Onyema, said that the gain of over N7,500 he made from making photocopies on Monday was unprecedented in his two-year experience.
Onyema, whose business centre is close to Ingrace Event Centre, another venue of the verification in Enugu, said that he had to temporarily engage his brother to assist him today [Tuesday].
“Since 8 a.m. all we have been doing is to attend to elderly people that came to duplicate their documents.
“Although, it is a bit stressful not sitting for over five hours now but the profit from this endeavor is worth it,”he said.
NAN learnt that the ongoing nationwide exercise was to enable PTAD to have a comprehensive, accurate and reliable database for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.
The database would also be used to address some irregularities in the system, including ghost worker syndrome, duplicate payments, over and under payments, among other needs.
It was also learnt that 270 agencies, including universities, tertiary institutions , health institutions and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, were expected to be covered by the exercise.
Other agencies included are: Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Postal Service, Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, Nigerian National Shipping Line and Assurance Bank, among others.
NAN
