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FG set to pay Nigeria Airways workers
• Shops for N5.3b to offset arrears
By Rotimi Durojaiye
Aviation
Correspondent, Lagos
Agitation by
former workers of liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) for the settlement
of their benefits has reached the ears of the government, and it is now
shopping for about N5.3 billion to provide them succour, early enough for
Christmas.
The 1,000
workforce is owed N3.325 billion in salary arrears while debts to the 4,000
pensioners amount to N2 billion.
As a prelude to
this, the liquidator appointed to wind up NAL, Ade Babington Ashaye, has asked
the workers’ counsel Adesoji Adebola to withdraw the suit they filed to
challenge the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja which, on July 9, okayed
the liquidation.
The workers are
owed 19 months’ salary, the pensioners are owed 24 months’
allowance.
It was learnt
that the government would pay their salary up to September this year, with
another three months’ salary paid up to December, the mandatory three
months required to terminate their appointments.
They are likely
to be paid before December 14, the date of a meeting scheduled between representatives
of the workers’ union and Ashaye.
A source said he
has asked for the statement of affairs of NAL to determine the monthly wage
bill, put at N175 million.
It was also
learnt that the workers, who are now co-operating with the liquidator, have
been asked to submit their personal data to a leading insurance firm in Lagos.
They have been
asked to open account with another Lagos-based bank, preparatory to the
payment.
The source
disclosed that the government would use part of the proceeds from the sale of
NAL assets to pay the debt, and that a large chunk would come from the money
recovered from its bank accounts, found by the Justice Obiora Nwazota judicial
commission of inquiry which investigated NAL management from 1983 to 1999.
Since the courts
pronounced NAL liquidated and the consequent appointment of Virgin Atlantic
Airways as the technical partner and strategic investor in the proposed Virgin
Nigeria Airline, the workers have been agitating for the payment of their
severance benefits.
Many of them
argue that they were close to their retirement ages when they were sacked and
that they would find it difficult to secure another gainful employment, as old
age in the aviation industry (above 50 years), is a disadvantage in securing
jobs.
When the government
could no longer tolerate the workers’ agitation, a detachment of mobile
policemen was deployed to the premises of NAL to keep watch.
The stand-off at
the airline has been the main reason for the failure of the various attempts by
the government to replace NAL as the workers have vowed to scuttle the
floating of another national carrier unless all their outstanding benefits are
settled.
Speaking recently
at the first meeting of NAL creditors, Ashaye gave an assurance to them that
the bidding process for its assets would be transparent.
He explained that
the government also supports the liquidation process by mandating members of
the Armed Forces, the police and NAL personnel now occupying its houses to
either bid for their purchase or vacate them.
He had disclosed
that all NAL landed property at home and abroad would be sold at competitive
market value in an open-ended bidding, adding that more Nigerians would be
encouraged to participate in the bidding, to raise the value.
Members of the
committee that would inspect the liquidation process were nominated by the
government two weeks ago.
They include Samson Baidi, David Ogona, Nick Fadugba and
Nigerian Bar Association President Bayo Ojo. A representative of NAL staff is
yet to be announced.
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