Still nothing new on New Nigerian

If President Jonathan does not know, he should blame his VP, Sambo, because not only did he know of the situation as Governor of Kaduna State, he has in the past appended body language that he wants the crisis settled once and for all. After becoming the Vice President, he reportedly raised the workers and […]

If President Jonathan does not know, he should blame his VP, Sambo, because not only did he know of the situation as Governor of Kaduna State, he has in the past appended body language that he wants the crisis settled once and for all.

After becoming the Vice President, he reportedly raised the workers and others stakeholders’ hope that their long-flowing tears would be wiped for them in no distant future. That was before the April general elections, and the hopes raised then remain dashed. Even within the Federal Government circles, especially the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), nothing is being heard again, sliding back to another endless wait.

For VP Sambo to have raised the people’s hope, without action, that is worrisome and heart-rending. The workers’ meager salary for December was paid in four quarters with the last quarter being paid just two weeks ago. Impliedly, the workers are being owed 7 months of salary arrears. Because of that utter neglect, no one can say exactly how many months of arrears are being owed pensioners whose population is being depleted by death. Now how would their dependants survive?

We are approaching a period where many parents are going to come under serious pressure: Sallah is here, schools would soon resume with new admissions and the talk of going to the next level of classes: How are this people going to cope? The reason we are mentioning the names of Jonathan and Sambo in this matter is because only they can make the decision. In the case of VP Sambo, it is more disheartening, learning that the final report of the NNN Ltd work done by BPE was with him before the April general elections, and that he was studying it. Is he going to write a PhD with it?

Sambo should remember that this is Ramadan and we are sure he fasted and would seek Allah’s mercies. Let him not allow NNN’s pensioners and workers to wallow in penury especially during Sallah. And Christmas is fast approaching.

Zakari Salihu, an NNN pensioner, wrote in from Abakpa, Kaduna