FAAN pensioners protest unpaid arrears
By Wole Shadare
THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria's (FAAN) pensioners yesterday for over three hours disrupted activities at the parastatal over unpaid pension arrears.
The pensioners, numbering over 200, barricaded the road to the FAAN's headquarters with big stones and green leaves.
The police were equally at alert to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
Spokesman for the pensioners, Mr. Yinka Abioye, while speaking to journalists, said they were owed over 70 months' pension arrears.
His words: "It has to do with our outstanding arrears of pension that the past administration didn't pay, which the current FAAN's managing director has now graciously accepted to pay."
He stated that the management had accepted that there was a problem with their cash flow.
Abioye said based on the sincerity of the management, the pensioners had agreed to accept the categorisation and segmented payment to cover all what they are owed.
The first payment, he said, would be done on December 6, 2004, while the next batch come up second week of December.
The spokesman for FAAN, Mr. Onyekwere Nnaekpe, said the problem was caused by a break in communication between the pensioners and the management, adding that FAAN was not owing them salaries but arrears incurred by the past management.
He, however, stated that the issue has been resolved, arguing that the arrears would be paid in six instalments "and we are beginning from today to pay."
"We have always paid their pensions, but like I said, these arrears were owed them a long time ago and it amounts to N290 million," he added.
Meanwhile, arrangement is on to pay workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways.
The pensioners are being owed 24 months pension arrears while the workers are owed over 22 months' salaries.
Based on the arrangement, the workers have agreed to withdraw their suit against the Federal Government and the liquidator, Messr Babington, The Guardian has learnt.
If the government eventually pays the workers, it may pave way for the smooth take-off of Virgin Nigeria Airline scheduled to begin operations early next year.
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