The Military Pensions Board (MPB) is to open a 24-hour call centre to receive and address complaints by military pensioners within and outside the country.
Chairman of the board, Air Vice Marshall Muhammad Dabo, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Dabo said the centre would be equipped with latest equipment in information technology and opened to Nigerian military pensioners all over the world before the end of 2016.
He said the opening of the centre was part of a broad plan by the present management of the board to ease the administration of military pensions in Nigeria.
“Our plan for this year is to establish a dedicated call centre that is up to date with IT.
“Pensioners will not have to move from their locations to come to the Military Pensions Board to solve their problems.
“The call centre will be 24/7 manned, it will attend to all complains from any part of the world.
“In our own schedule, we are planning it barring all other challenges we should be able to establish that centre before the end of this year.’’
Dabo added that the establishment of the call centre would also make subsequent verification exercises easier as most of the issues would have been addressed by the call centres.
He said the MPB in partnership with its consultants would also introduce the Nigerian interbank settlement system for transfers in its verification exercises.
Dabo said the system would enable pensioners to be verified even in their banks with ease without necessarily travelling long distances for the annual verification exercises.
The chairman said the board was also working issuing smart cards known as `combo cards’ to military pensioners to serve dual purposes of identification and financial transactions.
He said plans were underway to also secure discounts on financial transactions made through the use of the combo cards.
“The electronic combo card that we intend to issue to all the retirees, we are making arrangements to secure discounts on purchases made by our retirees in appreciation of the services they have rendered to the nation.
“So that wherever they go to purchase items, once they present that card, they are entitled to a percentage discount depending on the arrangement we are making and that will enhance their standard of living.’’
Dabo added that plans were also underway to open zonal offices in each of the six geo-political zones to cater for the wellbeing of military pensioners.
He said the packages planned for the pensioners were made possible by the support the board was getting from the present administration.