FG Pledges N23 Billion Payment to Ex-Airways Workers

• FG Pledges N23 Billion Payment to Ex-Airways Workers

The Federal Government has promised ex-workers of the defunct, National Airline; Nigeria Airways Limited, a total sum of N23 billion, following the commencement of a mop-up verification for those who were not audited during the previous exercise.

This was revealed in a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Information in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Olajide Oshodun.

Oshodun said that the Verification exercise is being conducted by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and holds simultaneously in Lagos and Kano States.

He also said that in September 2018, the Ministry conducted a similar exercise in the six geo-political zones; adding that the current one is to ensure that all qualified beneficiaries are audited and paid their dues.

According to Oshodun, the permanent Secretary, Special Duties in the Ministry, Dr Mohammed Dikwa, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Procurement, Mr Izerebu Iyugun John, told the ex-workers during an inspection of the verification exercise at the Lagos and Kano centers that, the Federal government was devoted to ensuring the payment of their entitlements once they were audited. He further urged them to cooperate with verifiers by providing all necessary documents to guarantee smooth verification process.

The Airline was dissolved in 2004, amidst debts owed about 6,000 workers of the airline which led to series of agitations by the ex-workers.

The agitations prompted President Mohammadu Buhari to approve a total of N45 billion in 2018 for the payment of 50 percent of entitlements owed the former workers.

However, only N22 billion was released in October and was distributed to ex-workers who had completed their verification.

The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Airways Pensioner Union, Segun Adeleke thanked the President for the approval of the outstanding N23 billion. He said that members of the Union will forever remain grateful to the President for remembering the ex-workers who had lost hope of receiving anything from the government.