N45bn entitlement: Save our souls, ex-Airways workers beg Buhari

Former workers of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways have accused the Ministry of Finance of deliberately delaying the payment of their severance benefits two months after the payment was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The ex-workers have attributed the delay to what they termed bureaucracy that the civil service is known for.

Speaking at meeting of the workers at the Skypower Catering Service premises in Lagos, one of the elders of the group and former chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Dr Steve Mahonwu took a swipe at the Ministry of  Finance for frustrating the efforts of the workers.

His words: “Bureaucracy, bureaucracy, that is the working term of the government civil servants, the president has approved, is there any follow up, we have lost up to 30 people since the approval, they have been dying in quantum, we wrote to the president, the Vice President, the minister of state for aviation and the ministry of finance, when you write they reply you, it means communication is taking place but when you write, there is no response, it means they are in-communicado”.

Another member of the group, Mr. Sheri Kyarisaid  since the airline was liquidated in September 2004, the ex-workers have had a bad experience with successive administrations except that of Late President Umoru Musa Yar’adua who paid them five years of their pensions.

Lamenting how many of their colleagues have died and many afflicted with different types of ailments that required a lots of money to treat, Kyarideclared:”We have had nasty experience with our governments over the years,minus the years of late of president Yar’adua who approved and paid us 5 years of our pensions, since then it has been a battle till this day to the extent that even when president Buhari campaigned, it was an issue, so when they came in, they have been able to give approval for N78 million to be paid to us which is equivalent to 10 years. Since the approval about 8 weeks now, the payment had not been made so we are beginning to feel that people are beginning to politick with our fate.

“We are tired, how can the president of a country approve money and people refused to pay, so where are we heading to. Sincerely, am not happy, I cannot pay my house rent, I cannot feed my children, am weak, am sick and tired, please, Nigerians help us. That is why we are begging the president to come to our aid so that we can get our money. Our people are dying everyday, we are not happy”