N45 billion: Playing with the blood of former Nigerian Airways workers

crucial Ordinarily, Nigeria should be one of the most successful in all spheres because God really blessed it with the needed wherewithal to be on top. Apart from these endowments, even the population of the country, 178 million, should automatically be to its advantage.

Unfortunately, despite all these blessings, the country even 57 years after it gained independence is yet to be free no thanks to the awkward ways of doing things by those put in public positions.

For those wondering about what could be responsible for the plight of the country, the answers to their queries may not be far from them as witnessed in the high rate of injustice flowing in the land.

The way those put in positions of leadership are doing things in Nigeria will continue to amuse people from the other climes who believe that such people occupying such positions only got there as a privilege.

Therefore, while in that position, you are expected to serve the country with utmost fear of God and fairness knowing that you will one day vacate that seat but alas, here in Nigeria, reverse has been the case and the most guilty of this wicked action are the so called civil servants, the top officials at various government establishments and the ministries who enjoy using their positions to frustrate others.

This brings to fore again, the pathetic state of the former Nigerian Airways workers who having used their youthful days to serve the country have been abandoned to die in droves without reaping the fruit of their labour.

It is no longer news how after the former national carrier was unwisely liquidated 14 years ago and how those who used their blood to work for the airline were abandoned by the subsequent governments until the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari showed them mercy.

After so much struggle, even when the workers were to be paid N78 billion as their full entitlements, those put in charge mischievously slashed it down to N45 billion.

Now the insult upon the injury is that one month after the government finally approved the payment of the N45 billion, the powers that be at the Ministry of Finance particularly those officials at the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing (PICA), saddled with the responsibility of effecting the payment have been playing hide and seek game with people’s lives.

The questions on the lips of many on the delay in the payment include: what is causing the delay; why is the approval given by the Presidency not being implemented and what do the ministry of finance officials  want to gain from inflicting pains on fellow citizens?

The need to urgently release this money became pertinent as it will go a long way in saving more lives as the latest information revealed that 10  of the former workers had died in the last one month that approval for the payment of the final benefits was announced.

Who knows whether some of the dead workers would have remained alive if they had received their entitlements to enable them take care of their health needs.

The worst sin to be committed by anyone is to deny a fellow human being his hard earned money even as attested to by God in his sayings that ‘a worker deserves his wages’.Therefore, it is wicked and unpatriotic for some government officials to continue to play pranks with the sweat of the Nigerian Airways workers when the money with which to pay them is available.

This show of power being displayed by government officials has continued to portray the country as lawless to other parts of the world where labour laws are strictly adhered to and it has a way of impacting negatively on the country.

There is the urgent need for the Ministry of Finance officials to put an end to this lawlessness and begin the full payment while they should also remember that one day they will retire from their position to face the same music they are presently playing.

Among the former workers who died in the last one month according to the chairman of the Nigeria Airways Pensioners, Comrade Segun Feyisetan are: Captain Akintaju, Captain Akinyosade, Engineer K. C Amah. Alhaji B. lzgu, Alhaji Dairu Musa, Alhaji Baba Gana Bukar, Alhaji Musa Otoro, Dr. Aka, Mr. Kenneth Onyechere to mention just a few.