The Lagos State government has assured pensioners who have not been able to participate in the ongoing pensioners verification exercise by the civil service pension office due to ill health that they would be given the opportunity to participate.

Permanent Secretary in the pensions office, Mrs. Rafeeqat Onabimro, explained that though the exercise was scheduled for two weeks, it might be extended if necessary.

She said a flexible strategy had been adopted and those indisposed or outside the country, including persons above 70 years of age, had been factored into the plan. They are to be visited at home to participate or they can visit the office at the expiration of the period to participate in the exercise, she said.

Onabimro added that a significant feature of the exercise was the use of biometrics, which will not only ensure the inviolability of the database of pensioners, but also check fraud and ease pressure during the conduct of the exercise in future.

She said the office had over 10,000 pensioners' files, adding that the office is committed to reducing the pressure generated by pension payment in the state.

She noted that the exercise had faced challenges, such as the aged wanting to be at centres rather than waiting for the officials to come to them in their homes. Onabimro assured that necessary arrangements for their comfort had been made.

She said power supply was a major challenge to the exercise, which was responsible for making use of generating sets at the centre.

"The exercise, which is being conducted at the 20 local government headquarters in the state, is the second of such on a decentralised basis and is designed to ensure that the pensioner goes through a more humane process of certification and verification as they access their pension payments after years of dedicated service," she said.