Nigeria Airways: FG set to prosecute indicted officials, firms

…Constitutes panel to probe how fortunes of rested airline dwindled
…Verification of ex-Airways workers for payment of severance benefits begins
As the Federal Ministry of Finance begins the payment of severance benefits to former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited this week, the Federal Government is set to initiate the prosecution of persons indicted in the Justice Obiora Nwazota Judicial Commission of Inquiry White Paper.

Government, it was learnt, is looking into how to recover huge sums of money from individuals, organisations and agencies that mismanaged the airline.

The Justice Obiora Nwazota, who served as chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, submitted its white paper to government in 2002.

A source said government is constituting a team to initiate a probe into how the fortunes of the rested airline dwindled before it closed shop.

In particular, President Muhammadu Buhari, it was learnt, intends to look at the white paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the investigation of the management of Nigeria Airways Limited between 1983 – 1999.

The white paper indicted some high profile Individuals and organisations/agencies from whom various sums running into billions of naira is to be recovered.

The panel was mandated to look into the financial position and financial management of Airways and to examine all books of account and records to ascertain their compliance with appropriate regulations.

The panel was to investigate the application of funds, including budgetary allocations, special grants, loans for specific projects and proceeds from the sale of its product and services as well as verify, evaluate, ascertain the authentic level of indebtedness between 1983 and 1999.

Confirming the development, Chairman of Aviation Union Grand Alliance (AUGA) and Chairman of Ex – Airways Workers, Comrade Lookman Animashaun, said though the workers and pensioners are excited over the approval for payment of their severance benefits, they want Buhari to ask questions on how the airline was ruined.

He said the President should go beyond asking questions but insist on the implementation of the recommendations in the White Paper released by the Justice Obiora Nwazota Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

Animashaun said looking into the recommendations of the White Paper could not be more apt than now, when the Justice Nwazota is still alive to give credence to the contents of the document.

He said ex-Airways workers would want Buhari to push for the prosecution of politically exposed persons who were indicted in the White Paper, but straddle across the political landscape untouched.

Animashaun said :”Though we thank President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the release of our severance benefits, we learnt the president has started asking questions on what led to the collapse of the the former national carrier .

“Beyond asking questions, Buhari must ensure government goes back to the white paper and institute a commission of inquiry, more so that Justice Obiora Nwazota is still alive.

“Every recommendation in the white paper should be implemented to the letter and the names of persons inducted in the report should be prosecuted. It is only when government does this that the wounds inflicted on the psyche of former workers of the rested national carrier would heal”.

Meanwhile, thousands of ex-workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways on Monday commenced their verification exercise in preparation for the payment of their severance benefits.

Many of the ex-workers abroad flew into the country to complete the exercise with thousands of others turning up for the exercise from different parts of the country.

The Skypower Catering office venue of the verification exercise was filled as they moved from one table to another registering their names before biometric capture by officials of the Ministry of Finance in the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit, PICA.

The ex-staff, who expressed happiness to President Muhammadu Buhari, said their payment was coming after 15 years.

“We are delighted that after 15 years, we will be paid for our sweat, we are rejoicing and we thank God for this day that he has used President Buhari and the Minister of Finance to help, to pay us,” he said.

Some deceased family members whose father or mother died recently did not find it easy completing their verification because they did not have a letter of administration from the High court, and they were advised to get the letter before the exercise ends so that the names of their dead ones could be included on the list for payment.

Head of the Ministry of Finance, PICA office, Mr. John Ytono, said they were facing challenges of managing the crowd and ensuring that the system for the biometric capture was linked to the two centres being used in other parts of the country.

“This is just the first day, we expect this to be like this, we are trying to expand to accommodate our officers so we can attend to more people at a time so we can meet our target of 1,000 in a day.”

Chairman, Elders Forum, Airways Workers, Engineer Godwin Jibodu, said the exercise was significant because many of their members who were sick and in the hospitals that did not have money to cater for their health can now do so after being paid.

“Over 800 of our members have died, many are in the hospital bedridden, they do not have money to buy drugs but with this money, they can treat themselves.”