By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government has concluded payment of outstanding severance benefits to 2,100 former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.
The payment, covering beneficiaries in Batches 1 to 7 represents severance benefits due to the affected former employees.
Batches 8 and 9, comprising 600 beneficiaries are being finalised with the beneficiaries scheduled to receive their payments in a matter of days. This brings the number of former Nigeria Airways workers covered by the payment to 2,700, with total benefits of ₦18 billion across the nine batches.
For the beneficiaries and their families, the development brings long awaited relief after years of waiting for an entitlement that, for many, had remained uncertain.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier approved the settlement of the outstanding severance obligations to former Nigeria Airways workers, directing that the long standing matter be brought to a conclusion.
The President’s intervention provided the necessary impetus for the Federal Government to move towards resolving the outstanding obligation and bringing relief to the affected former workers.
Under the direction of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, the relevant processes for identifying eligible beneficiaries, validating records and establishing the financial obligations were pursued, resulting in the commencement of payment to the first seven batches and the readiness of Batches 8 and 9 for immediate payment.
Commenting on the development, Oyedele said the payment reflects the Federal Government’s determination to address legitimate outstanding obligations and ensure that the welfare of average Nigerians is prioritised.
“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them. Our responsibility is to confront outstanding obligations, complete the necessary processes and, once the resources are secured, ensure that the people affected feel the impact of government positively,” he said.
The Minister said the exercise demonstrates what can be achieved when government institutions work together to resolve longstanding issues, adding that the objective is to ensure that legitimate beneficiaries receive their approved entitlements while maintaining the necessary safeguards around public funds.
The Federal Ministry of Finance appreciates the important collaboration of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, whose engagement with the Finance Ministry helped sustain the matter and advance efforts towards its resolution.
The National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation also played an important role through their oversight and engagement on the outstanding benefits. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, were actively engaged in advancing the case of former Nigeria Airways workers and supporting efforts towards settlement.
The payment process has involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure that funds are paid to the rightful beneficiaries.
According to the Director in charge of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit (PICA) Department, Seldam Dangin, the Ministry is preparing a second phase, a mop up exercise, to capture beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.
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He said the exercise will focus on updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details. It will also address cases involving deceased beneficiaries, with next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payment.
The mop up exercise is expected to commence by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.
The commencement of payment to the first seven batches, alongside the readiness of Batches 8 and 9, marks a major step towards resolving the longstanding severance obligation to former Nigeria Airways workers, while the planned mop up will provide an opportunity to resolve outstanding cases and bring more eligible beneficiaries into the payment process.
