Nigeria Airways retirees decry ‘prolonged silence’ over entitlements

Retirees of the defunct Nigeria Airways who have been in the trenches for over a decade for their entitlements have decried what they called prolonged silence over their payment.

The retirees said they were excited when they heard on July 13 that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N2.7 trillion for contractors and pensioners, but that their excitement had been cut short by the seeming inaction by the government.

The FEC on July 12 this year approved the process for the payment of the pensioners after confirming a discounted total of N2.7 trillion of outstanding pensions and promotional salary arrears.

Speaking with Daily Trust, the Chairman, Elders’ Forum of the retirees, Dr Jibodu Godwin reiterated that since the approval by the government, it had been silence. “Many of our members are dying at the rate of three, four per week,” he said.

He spoke just as the retirees held their weekly prayer session at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) to seek divine intervention.

“Many of us are in our sixties to nineties and it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage life. Many of us are being helped by relatives and children but they are becoming overburdened. And those who don’t have such opportunity are just dying. The government should expedite action so that the living can live because only those who are living can enjoy the money,” he said.