NUP demands immediate disbursement of N78bn for Airways pensioners

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) Airways branch has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) to commence the disbursement of the  N78 billion for pensioners of the defunct Nigerian Airways Limited (NAL). National chairman of the pensioners, Comrade Sam Nzene, in a statement, said they were aware […]

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) Airways branch has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) to commence the disbursement of the  N78 billion for pensioners of the defunct Nigerian Airways Limited (NAL).

National chairman of the pensioners, Comrade Sam Nzene, in a statement, said they were aware that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had given approval for the release of the money, but wondered why the fund was yet to be disbursed.

He said  that there were 5,700 NAL pensioners and workers at the time of its liquidation, but regretted that many of them had died while awaiting the release of the funds.

Nzene said the Federal Government had only paid the retirees five years pension arrears out of 25 years pension backlog.

He urged the government to pay the retired workers the outstanding pension arrears which has accumulated up to N78 billion. 

He said, “This issue has lingered for over 10 years now. Since the liquidation of Nigerian Airways. While the expatriate workers of Nigerian Airways were paid 25 years pension as payoff, their Nigerian counterparts were only paid 5 years. We call on President Buhari to look at the plight of our members and prevail on the Ministry of Finance to begin the immediate disbursement of the fund.”

The Nigerian Airways was liquidated in May 2003 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, but the airline ceased to exist from September 13, 2004.

The ex-workers said it is sad that 13 years after, the ex-workers are still struggling to get  their entitlements.