Pensioners of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, have decried the continued delay in the payment of N45 billion pension arrears owed by the Federal Government.
Their complaint is coming a month after the approval was announced by Federal Executive Council meeting of 20th September, 2017 for immediate payment of N45 billion ex-workers/pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airway Limited (NAL).
According to the pensioners, over a month since the approval for payment was announced nothing had been or have there been any communication between them and the concerned authority, adding that by their understanding, immediate payment as prescribed by the government should mean not more than two weeks.
In the official document signed by the Chairman, Comrade Segun Feyisetan and the Secretary General, Comrade Thomas Ojuderi, the NAL pensioners said that Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing (PICA) which was saddled with the responsibility of effecting this payment had not contacted the union about this payment since the announcement was formally made.
“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.
“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. lnfact, 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.
