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Independent Newspapers Nigeria


Lagos – Former workers of the national carrier, Nigeria Airways, have faulted the insistence of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, that the Federal Government did not approve the sum of N45 billion severance package to the staff in 2017.

Adeosun described the information that the Federal Government approved the sum to the former workers as untrue.

She said there had been no approval for the funds.


The minister made the clarification on through her tweeter page, @HMKemiAdeosun.

She said: “There has been a misconception in the media that the president had approved the payment of N45 billion terminal benefits to the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways. I should make it clear that there is no presidential approval and no appropriation yet for the payment.

“The terminal benefits of ex-Nigeria Airways workers are also part of the outstanding inherited debts.


“These benefits have been reconciled and agreed at N45 billion, following verification. But, we don’t have Presidential approval yet for the payment. It also has to be appropriated.”

Her comment drew anger from the workers of the airline who insisted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave its approval on September 13, 2017.

The workers supported their claim with a document convening the approval.

The documents obtained from one of the affected staff (names withheld) by our correspondent actually indicated that there was a presidential approval for the N45bn terminal benefits of about 6,000 workers.


The letter, with the reference number, OHMF/PICA/FMT/28/VOL.1/94 with the title: ‘Settlement of the Terminal Benefits of Ex-Workers of Nigeria Airways (in Liquidation): Appeal for Mr. President’s Intervention’, was dated September 13, 2017, and signed by Adeosun.

The letter was addressed to the Minister of Transport (Aviation) by Adeosun.
It reads in part: “I refer to your letter with Ref No TCA0036/S.I/T6/199 dated 31st August, 2017 and to inform you that we have received approval contained in the letter Ref. No. SH/OVP/DCOS/FMF/956 dated 15th May, 2017 (copy attached) conveying the approval by the Acting President in the sum of N45,365, 664, 332.55 for the settlement of the benefits of 5,909 verified ex-workers/pensioners of Nigeria Airways Limited (in liquidation).

“That physical verification of beneficiaries would be carried out by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and other relevant Federal Government agencies before payment is effected, and that the payment of the outstanding claims has been factored in the Promissory Note Programme (PNP) of Federal Government.”

One of the affected workers, Engr. Lookman Animasahun, the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Med-View Airline, said that the letter conveying the approval was during the period Prof. Yemi Osinbajo acted as Acting President.

He explained further that apart from Osinbajo’s approval, there was a further FEC approval in the same month of September.

He added: “Furthermore, the source of the fund was equally stated in the letter, which corroborates the announcement that it would be funded through the $5.2bn euro bond. The FEC approval of the $5.2bn euro bond also included military pensioners, salary arrears and allowances of the federal civil servants, ex-Nigeria Airways pensioners and federal contractors.

“We are also aware that the Minister of Finance has started paying the military pensioners and federal civil servants, leaving out the NAL pensioners. The question is from where did she get the approval to pay the military pensioners and the federal civil servants?

“Whatever I’ve said on this matter are facts because I’m involved. If the Minister of Finance is saying there’s no approval, why did she convey approval to her colleague, personally signed by her? With all due respect, we should not be playing politics with the lives of people. To us, there was an approval. She should have told us a long time ago that she has a problem discharging this particular responsibility.

“Of course, we know where to direct our agitations. Whatever that is happening today at the National Assembly is not by accident. We have our input and we are definitely pursuing it. We wouldn’t have said anything on the issue, if not because she publicly said there was no approval.”

But Group Capt. John Ojikutu, aviation analyst, in an interview with our correspondent, said neither the Vice President nor the President had the unilateral power to approve the payment of such amount of money.

He declared that such approved required the approval of the FEC while it would also be represented in the minutes while the source of the money would also be stated.

“If these letters are the ones being cited as authorities, it will take the devils in the government to pay that money,” he said

Culled from:
https://independent.ng/controversy-trails-presidential-approval-of-n45bn-for-nigeria-airways-workers/amp/