Former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited have begun receiving their outstanding severance benefits after more than two decades of waiting, protests and repeated appeals to successive governments.
John Ogbe, national president of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), disclosed this in a statement on the development.
Ogbe described the commencement of payment as a major relief for former Nigeria Airways employees who had spent years seeking the settlement of outstanding obligations arising from the liquidation of the former national carrier.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for addressing the long-running labour issue, while also acknowledging the contributions of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to the payment process.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank the President of the country, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for resolving a long labour issue that has been affecting the workers of Nigeria,” Ogbe said.
The union leader said the commencement of payment represented the fulfilment of a commitment that had remained outstanding for years.
“I want to thank the government that has come to fruition. As we speak, the payment has started coming in. I want to thank the Minister too, who plays a very big role in actualising this payment process,” he said.
Ogbe said the development would provide significant relief to former employees who had endured years of uncertainty while waiting for their severance benefits.
The payment follows years of demands by former Nigeria Airways workers for the government to settle their outstanding terminal and severance entitlements.
Nigeria Airways, once the country’s national carrier, ceased operations in 2003 after decades of serving as a major symbol of Nigeria’s presence in international aviation.
The airline was subsequently liquidated, leaving thousands of former employees facing uncertainty over the payment of their full benefits.
The long-running dispute over the workers’ entitlements had remained a major labour issue involving former employees and successive administrations.
The commencement of payments now marks a significant step towards resolving the outstanding obligations owed to the former workers.
