BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has commended the Federal Government for intervening in the long-delayed payment of retirement benefits owed former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited.
The group praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, for responding to the plight of the former national carrier’s employees, who have endured more than two decades of uncertainty following the airline’s liquidation in April 2003.
In a statement signed by its President, Air Commodore (rtd) Ademola Onitiju, mni, ASRTI said the government’s intervention was a welcome development, particularly for former workers who have waited for years to receive their entitlements.
The organisation, however, urged the government to ensure that the payment process is completed promptly and extended to all remaining living beneficiaries as well as the families of deceased former employees.
ASRTI said completing the payment would ensure fairness and equal treatment for the senior citizens who devoted their working lives to the country.
“The Nigeria Airways was the proud national carrier and a symbol of our collective sovereignty,” the organisation said.
It added that the men and women who worked for the airline were dedicated professionals who served the country with commitment, believing that the nation they helped build would provide for them in their retirement years.
According to ASRTI, the prolonged delay in settling the former workers’ entitlements has subjected them to avoidable hardship, particularly as many of the beneficiaries are now elderly.
The group therefore appealed to the Federal Government to conclude the payment process and ensure that outstanding entitlements are released to qualified beneficiaries and the families of those who have died.
ASRTI said the completion of the exercise would bring relief to the former Nigeria Airways workers and help end years of suffering.
“The Federal Government is further requested to kindly conclude the process of payment of these senior citizens to end their avoidable sufferings and loss of lives,” Onitiju said.
The former Nigeria Airways workers have been seeking the payment of their outstanding retirement benefits since the airline was liquidated. Nigeria Airways, once the country’s flagship carrier, was eventually shut down after years of financial difficulties, bringing an end to its operations in 2003.
ASRTI’s intervention adds to calls for the government to ensure that the settlement process is completed without further delays, especially given the advancing age of many of the beneficiaries.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
