N45bn: 2 women slump as pensioners shut down airport road

A tragedy was averted yesterday when two elderly women who were among the former workers of the Nigerian Airways protesting a delay in the payment of their entitlement in Lagos yesterday slumped.

They slumped in the course of the protest at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos blocking the domestic terminal road and causing massive traffic gridlock.

The protesters, frustrated over the uncertainty surrounding the N45bn payment, started the protest from Skypower Catering where they were first addressed by the union leaders.

However, the protest went awry when two of the retirees slumped. The first woman slumped in front of FAAN headquarters entrance while the other slumped around the domestic airport roundabout.

They were eventually revived by their colleagues who poured water on their head as they rolled on the floor.

Our correspondent observed that the elderly women have been showing sign of fatigues right from the take-off point until they slumped at different times in the course of the protest. Before they slumped, they kept on shouting the name of Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun whom they accused of standing on their entitlement approved since May last year by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Chairman, Aviation Union Ground Alliance (AUGA), Engr. Lukman Animashaun and Chairman of Nigeria Airways’ branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Sam Ezene said the protest would move to Abuja after Wednesday if concrete information emanated from government on the status of their entitlement.