FG shops for N73bn for ex Airways’ workers

A source close to the Ministry of Transport, told our correspondent that the final retirement benefits may be paid to the workers from next month.

This is coming as many of the ex workers based in the West coast and many others in the country had severally petitioned the government to pay them all their benefits and entitlements.

They said they were frustrated as their plea had fallen on deaf ears and led to death of many of the workers who waited in vain for several years to get what belongs to them.

The source said that the Federal Government has already set up a committee to conduct a verification exercise of those to benefit from the severance package as some of the beneficiaries have died over the years.

The carrier was liquidated in anger in 2003 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he publicly disclosed that the carrier was mismanaged and ran down albeit deliberately by successive managers of the airline.

The Secretary General of the Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Olayinka Abioye confirmed the planned payment of the benefits to the workers.

Olayinka noted that the unions have over the years pushed for the final payment of the severance packages to the former workers and assured that the money would be released to them soon, but could not confirm the actual time it would be released.

He said: “Yes, we have been pushing for the money to be released to the workers and we understand that the government may eventually pay them very soon, but, how soon is what i don’t know.

“However, i can also confirm to you that a presidential committee was set up by the government for verification purpose. As at the last time, the total severance packages to the workers was N73 billion.”

Late President Umaru Yar’Adua had paid the workers about five years severance package in 2008 out of the 25 years reached between the workers and the government with a promise to pay the rest in due course, but he died in office before he could redeem his pledge.

Besides, investigation carried out by our correspondent indicated that no fewer than 30 per cent of the workers had died in the past 13 years of the liquidation of the carrier, following their inability to access funds for medical bills and good up keep among others. Some of them are presently homeless and roaming the streets.

Just recently, Minister of State, Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika had in a function in Lagos told journalists that his major concern was sourcing for funds to settle the former workers of the airline.

No fewer than 2000 staff of the airline are to be paid by the government.