Ex-Nigeria Airways pensioners decry delay in payment of N45bn arrears
* Lament members are dying in droves
Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
The Nigeria Airways branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), on Monday, decried the delay of payment of N45 billion pension arrears owed by the Federal Government.
Their complain is coming after one month the approval was announced by Federal Executive Council meeting of 20th September, 2017, for immediate payment of N45bn ex-workers/pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airway Limited (NAL).
The pensioners lamented that, it is now more than one month since the approval for payment was announced; and yet no progress has so far been made to effect payment of the money.
Going by general understanding, the pensioners said that immediate payment, as prescribed by the government, should mean not more than two weeks to accomplish.
In the official document signed by the Chairman, Comrade Segun Feyisetan and the Secretary General, Comrade Thomas Ojuderi, the NAL pensioners said that the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing (PICA), which was saddled with the responsibility of effecting this payment has not contacted the union about the payment since the announcement was formally made a couple of weeks ago.
“By now PICA (which is handling this payment) would have called the union to a meeting to work out the modalities of payment with a view to informing the beneficiaries the date of commencement of verification; but it’s like everything is shrouded secrecy. No one knows what is happening”, they said.
According to the pensioners,“PICA should let us know what is happening to our approved payment, because we are losing our members on a daily basis due to lack of finance to take care of their welfare. ln fact, very recently, we just lost Alh. B. lzgu, Alh. Dairu Musa, Alh. Baba Gana Bukar, Alh. Musa Otoro, Capt. Akinyosade, Capt. Akintaju, Dr. Aka, Mr. Kenneth Onyechere and Engr. K.C. Amah to mention just a few. PICA cannot carry out this exercise alone, they need the union to work with as the link between the beneficiaries and Government.”
According to the pensioners, this payment involves ten different countries of the world, not just Nigeria and these beneficiaries are equally waiting for this approved payment.
“We are calling on and appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene on this issue and order release of this payment to the beneficiaries. we are equally calling on the Honorable Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to please continue his good work and see to the full payment of our entitlements,” the pensioners stated.
