Nigeria Airways pensioners protest over non-payment of N45bn severance package
- Former workers of the Nigeria Airways protested non-payment of their severance pay on Tuesday
- The pensioners stormed the premises of the Ministry of Finance to protest
- They accused the minister of finance of refusing to pay the severance package
The pensioners of the defunct Nigerian Airways on Tuesday, December 19, stormed the premises of the Federal Ministry of Finance to protest the non-payment of their severance package.
The pensioners barricaded the entrance of the ministry to demand immediate payment of their severance package, which amounts to N45 billion.
The Leadership reports that the pensioners accused the minister of finance Kemi Adeosun of refusing to release the N45 billion pension fund which they said has been approved by the Federal Executive Council since September 2017.
Speaking to journalists, the national president of the former workers of Nigeria Airways, Sam Nzeme, said that since President Muhammadu Buhari approved of the payment, nothing has been done and he has sent countless letters to the authority without any response.
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Nzeme lamented that more than 789 members have died while waiting for their entitlement.
The pensioners claimed that no less than 789 members have died from lack of money. Photo source: This Day
He said: “Because of Non-payment of this money, over 789 of our members have died so far. And even yesterday, we got a news that one of our member died. These deaths occur mainly because of lack of fund for treatment and feeding. In fact our members are in a sorry state due the situation. We don’t know if it was a crime to serve this country.
“But in September, President Buhari announced to the world after a certain Executive Council Meeting, that funds for the payment of Nigeria Airways Pensioners is ready and he ordered for the fund to be released to us immediately. He even said we should be paid before Christmas but this is 6 days to the said Christmas we have not heard anything either from the minister of aviation or minister of finance."
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Recall that NAIJ.com earlier reported that the pensioners, frustrated after waiting endlessly for their severance package pleaded with the President Buhari to intervene and order immediate payment of their entitlements before Christmas for them to have a blissful yuletide.
Many of the former workers of the defunct national carrier who spoke to Pension and You on condition of anonymity, lamented that it had been frustrating and painful to them especially after their hope had been raised to receive immediate payment following the approval for such in September.
Local government employees stage MASSIVE protest in Lagos on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng