Ex-staff and pensioners of the Liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited this morning took to the street to protest the delayed payment of their severance benefits seven months after the approval was given by the Federal Executive Council Meeting.
The ex-staff carried placards with different inscriptions principally targeted at the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun whom they accused of being insensitive to their plight for refusing to release their entitlements.
The placards read, Mrs Kemi Adeosun: Do not delay this payment further, It is a crime against humanity, Madam MOF:Did you misappropriate our pension money?, Kemi Adeosun, We demand immediate payment of our pensions, Mrs Adeosun: Enough of the Rigmarole- pay us Now, Mrs. Adeosun: Your actions and inactions are man’s inhumanity to man and so on. They also chanted solidarity songs and echoing the name of the minister at intervals.
Traffic was grounded to a halt as the roads leading in and out of the airport into Ikeja were blocked as the aggrieved ex-staff marched from the Skycatering house near the Airforce base to the roundabout at the entrance of the local airport.
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Nigeria Airways Branch, Comrade Sam Nzene said the protest became necessary as he alleged that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun was playing politics with their money.
He explained that last year after the approval for payment was given, they were told that the ministry was ready to pay but were being delayed by the National Assembly as they were waiting for them to give the go ahead.
Comrade Nzene added that to their surprise after a visit and discussions with the National Assembly, it was the Ministry that was dilly dally on the matter.
“This is the 3rd protest, we have been doing this since last year, even on the 19th of December last year, there was a protest in the Ministry of Finance when we shut down the place for 5 hours and at the end of the day, they were called into a meeting and told that the National Assembly was holding our payment. This is the 7th month now after the FEC approved this payment”
“Well, we went to National Assembly, we wrote to the senate president, we were told that there was nothing of the Nigeria Airways in the National Assembly that they have approved the money government sent to them for settlement of debts owed to civil servants and pensioners and contractors that these monies have been approved and released”.
Comrade Nzene said many of their members have died while waiting for their pay package, adding early this year three of their members died.
Also speaking, president, Aviation Union Grand Alliance, Comrade Luqmon Animashaun said they were tired of the bulk passing and insisted that the Minister of Finance should tell them why the payment was delaying.
He noted that army pensioners have started collecting their benefits from the N2.7 trillion approved by the FEC and asked what was delaying the payment of N45 billion accruing to them.
“They are paying the salary arrears of army pensioners and contractors, were did they get money to pay those two, they should let us know, so to us, nothing is in the National Assembly because we have combed everywhere in the National Assembly, we have gone to the clerk, senate committee on aviation, appropriation, on pensioners, they said there was nothing like that and whatever they need to approve, they have done and that is why they are paying the other two components, the minister should come out and tell what the position is”.
Three of the protesting staff collapsed during the protest and were immediately revived and taken away.
Some families members of the ex-staff whose father/mother have died came clad in black clothes to show their support for the protest.
Police officers were deployed from the Airport command to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
