The Federal Government has expressed regret over the
reported deaths of some workers of the defunct Nigerian Airways
occasioned by the delay in the payment of their entitlements...
The defunct national carrier was liquidated by former
President Olusegun Obasanjo regime in 2005, and since then the workers
had held series of protests over their unpaid entitlements.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika,
however, told State House correspondents after the meeting of the
Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo that N45 billion had been to settle the ex-workers’
entitlements.
“Governments, in the past, decided just to liquidate
Nigerian airways without tending to the issue of the entitlements of the
workers and they have been struggling to get that paid and we came in
government and we took it very seriously.
“I’m happy to announce that Mr President has approved N45
billion which has been confirmed to be the entitlements of these workers
and Ministry of Finance has been instructed to pay and the ministry has
written to me last week, to say that they have received the instruction
to pay these workers, and therefore, they are setting up the modalities
to pay.
“You should know it won’t pay through my ministry before
somebody will say I take some of it. It will be paid by finance through a
process, and that process will commence very soon,’’ he said.
The Minister disclosed that the Council also approved the
procurement of operational vehicles for Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and
the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Sirika said he had briefed the council on the
certifications of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and
the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
According to him, the certification is a huge step toward security and safety in the aviation sector.
He noted that the airport was first international Airport
in Nigeria to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
requirements and NCAA regulations.
On Aviation’s workers opposition to the concession of some
of the nation’s airports, the minister assured that the process would
be transparently carried out and the workers would be fully engaged in
the process.
The Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association and the
National Union of Air Transport Employees have vowed to resist the
plan, saying, if necessary, the workers would mobilize and buy over the
airports themselves.
Sirika dismissed social media reports that he “stole or intend to spend N635 million’’ on the concession project.
The minister noted that government would not be able to
fund infrastructure in the aviation sector, as such it would continue to
partner with the private sector in financing such facilities in the
sector.
“We don’t have the money to invest and develop these airports.
“In our opinion as a government and the policy has been
done that we will go through concession to give some individuals who
would build; who would operate; who would maintain, sustain, make money
and government will also make money in the process and return back to
government after certain number of years (20 to 25 years).’’
Sirika disclosed that the concession of airports had since
been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the Federal
Executive Council.
The minister also revealed that the council had approved
the hosting of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) World
Aviation Conference, to be held between Nov. 20 and 22.
He said the conference, which would be first outside
Canada, was meant to deliberate on aviation infrastructure and other
related aviation matters.
Also, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Chris
Ngige, said he briefed the council on the outcome of the various
industrial actions by some trade unions in the country.
The minister dismissed reports that he had described the
United Labour Congress (ULC) as an illegal labour union, saying that the
congress had since applied for registration as a labour centre or
labour federation.
He commended the Academic Staff Union of Universities and
the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors for suspending their strike
actions. (NAN)
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