Pension Bio-metric Verification Exercise in the State that will enable and sustain the efforts of government in payment of pensions through the production of a credible database on pensioners in the State has kick started.

The team is expected to cover the entire State on or before 27th of March 2020. All pensioners will be captured in their respective branches across the 3 Senatorial zones starting with Aba today, followed by Ohanze, Osisioma, Okpuala Ngwa to other areas.

The team is abreast of information on pensioners, what is expected of them. The exercise will harmonize those pensioners in diaspora and their counterpart who are pensioners in Abia but of Imo origin that worked before the creation of the State. It promises to be transparent and all inclusive.

According to the commissioner for finance, Aham Uko PhD. the biometric exercise when successfully implemented will further address irregularities observed during the recent manual verification process through which current pension payments were made.

The team for the exercise was broadly selected from major stakeholders in pension management. The Nigerian Union of Pensioners, State pension Board, Bureau of Establishment & Pensions, Innovation growth hub as the consultant , Ministry of finance, State Audit and Office of the State accountant General.

The commendation from Nigerian Union of Pensioners has further given credence to the fact that Abia State government is getting it right. They heaped encomiums on Dr.Uko for the way and manner he is handling pension matters in the State.

It could be recalled that Dr. Uko upon assumption of office promised a consistent payment of pension on monthly basis. Pensioners have testified that he has not reneged in that regard.

The exercise will further guarantee a more workable template to capture genuine pensioners in the State.

Ikechukwu Iroha writes from Aba.