The Military Pension Board (MPB) says it is up to date in the payment of monthly pensions to military retirees.

Flt.-Lt. Obasi Okoroafor, the Public Relations Officer of the board, gave the clarification in a statement on Sunday, while debunking claims that the board had left the retirees to their fate.

The board also said that one retired Pte Ibrahim Umoru in particular, has been receiving his monthly pensions since March 2003, contrary to a report.

Okoroafor said the board’s attention was drawn to a video publication accusing it of abandonment of its pensioners.

He described the report as untrue, baseless and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading the public.

Okoroafor explained a committee set up by the board, after the publication went viral, discovered that Umoru, with service number 63NA/339199, was a pensioner from the Nigerian Army and had been receiving his monthly Pension since 2003 to March.

“His gratuity has equally been paid to him after his discharge from the Nigerian army. It was also discovered that the claimed outstanding months of arrears was due to his absence for verification from 1982 to 2003, an exercise carried out every two years by the board.”

He, however, said efforts were ongoing to unravel what transpired during the period before Umoru came for his monthly payment.

He added that when Umoru visited the board recently to request for the claimed arrears before the video, its chairman, Maj.-Gen. A.B. Adamu, immediately directed an investigation for confirmation and payment.

Okoroafor, who said the board always welcome complaints from genuine retirees, advised them to avoid accumulating pension arrears.

He said they could avoid such by turning up for documentation or verification as the board’s contacts were always available through various means.

Okoroafor assured that the MPB would make sure that all pensioners receive their entitlements when due. (NAN)