Ime Akpan
Pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airways on Friday organised a mega solidarity rally for President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration intervened in the paying N22.68 billion of their pension arrears.
The amount forms the first tranche of the N45 billion which the federal government approved for the workers in September 2017.
As early as 9am, the pensioners, some so frail-looking and clutching walking sticks, had congregated on the premises of Skypower Catering Services, the only surviving subsidiary of the airline located on Airport Road.
Some who could not attend delegated their children and/or grand children to express their support for Buhari who according them “has done us well.”
Around 10 am, supporters of the All Progressives Congress d (APC) in Lagos joined the pensioners and stole the show from them.
Displayed on the buses that brought both the pensioners and APC supporters were giant posters with the inscription ‘Pensioners and ex-staff of Nigeria Airways (in liquidation) say thank you to the president, Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration for the payment of their entitlements.’
The event was livened up by a highlife band that played both gospel and contemporary music to which the crowed danced in ecstatic frenzy.
From Skypower premises, the crowd moved towards Ikeja and turned at the junction between Airk Air and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way.
The Buhari support train finally stopped at the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) playground where the minister of information and culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed addressed the crowd and reeled out the achievements of the Buhari-led federal government.
Mohammed said since liquidation of Nigeria Airways, successive administrations had failed to pay the benefits due to the worker.
He said the development subjected the workers to “untold suffering and loss of human dignity.”
“This administration’s commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians led President Muhammadu Buhari to end the 14-year wait and suffering of 5,996 former staffers of Nigeria Airways, who have started receiving payments of their pension arrears and other benefits from government,” said the minister.
For the more than 800 deceased staff of the defunct airline, Mohammed said their next-of-kin “will receive the entitlements due to them.”
“It is not just former staffers of Nigeria Airways who have benefitted from the people-oriented policy of this administration as former Biafran policemen, former workers of Aladja Dlta Steel Company and former Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) workers have also seen their years of suffering and neglect come to an end thanks to President Buhari,” he added.
He expressed appreciation to the pensioners saying “your support for the president could not have come at a better time as we are just a few days to the presidential elections.”
He added that “with your support and votes, the president will be re-elected to another four-year term to continue his good works.”
Also speaking, the arrowhead of the pensioners, Mr. Lookman Animashaun expressed gratitude to the president for the “timely intervention in the payment of our benefits.”
He stated that for 14 years, “we were abandoned, humiliated and frustrated in our demand to be paid what was due to us by successive governments whose stock in trade was tissues of lies designed to hoodwink the public.”
He said the president had “wiped our tears, put smiles on our faces and restore hope to our members and their families with the part payment of our benefits.”
