The Ex- worker of the liquidated Nigerian Airways Limited(NAL) have demanded for the payment of their outstanding severance benefits totaling N36 billion
This is just as they call on President Bola Tinubu to issue an Executive Order for the payment of the severance benefits to them without further delay.
The demand for the their N36 billion is coming almost one year after after a Presidential approval was given for the payment .
Speaking for the group a former Director at NAL and a Presidential Fleet pilot, Capt Prex Porbeni said that the Ex- NAL workers don’t need to appeal before the money is paid as according to him the workers are entitled to it having served Nigeria diligently over the years.
Porbeni stated that the essence of this press briefing is to remind Nigerians of the prolonged sufferings of the former staff and pensioners of the defunct NAL once Nigeria’s proud national carrier.
He said that they are speaking as worried ex-staff of the liquidated Nigerian Airways, representing over 5,000 former employees and pensioners, according to him who were rendered redundant following the liquidation of the airline in 2004 and that Humanitarian the group is making appeal for urgent government action
Porbeni said that he hope that this cry will support the struggles the unions officials have been in for the past twenty two years.
He explained that following the liquidation, negotiations were held between the airline unions and the Federal Government of Nigeria, adding that at the conclusion of those negotiations, it was
agreed that all staff both serving employees at the time of liquidation and existing pensioners would receive a one-off severance settlement calculated to represent 25 years of each officer’s salary as a final settlement of their benefits and emoluments.
The total amount agreed for this settlement was ₦78 billion and that N42 billion has been paid with a balance of N36 billion.
He said that over the years, successive administrations made partial payments toward this obligation.
He, however said that by the time those payments ended, the outstanding balance stood at approximately ₦36 billion.
He noted that since then, several efforts have been made by the unions, concerned organisations, national legislators, and the supervising Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to ensure the payment of this outstanding balance.
Porbeni pointed out that unfortunately, despite these efforts, the matter has remained unresolved, lamenting that the consequence of this prolonged delay has been devastating.
According to him, “Many of the affected former workers are now elderly citizens aged between 65 and 101 years. These men and women served Nigeria faithfully during their active years as pilots, engineers, cabin crew, technicians, administrators, accountants, and other aviation professionals who helped build the nation’s aviation industry.”
“Today, many of them live in extreme hardship.
A significant number are battling age-related illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and other health conditions, which have been aggravated by the harsh economic realities and the rising cost of healthcare and medication,” he lamented.
He stated that sadly, the number of avoidable deaths among members is over 600 and continues to increase, leaving families devastated and communities grieving.
Also speaking, union scribe, Comrade Abba Ocheme, who is also an ex- worker of NAL, wondered why the N36 billion severance benefits have not been released by the Accountant General, when money for other matters have been released.
On the next line of action if this appeal fails, Ocheme said that the ex-;workers will have no other option but to march to the Accountant General’s Office in Abuja to demand for their severance benefits instead of dying one by one silently.
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