By Nana Musa
The Federal Government says it has paid N18 billion in severance benefits to 2,700 former Nigeria Airways workers, more than two decades after the airline was liquidated.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, said this on Friday at a press briefing in Abuja.
Oyedele said that 2,100 beneficiaries in batches one to seven had been paid, while another 600 in batches eight and nine were being finalised.
“Today is about much more than the payment of money, it is about people, dignity, trust, and the responsibility of government to honour legitimate obligations to its citizens.
“For more than two decades, following the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, many former employees have waited for the outstanding severance benefits.
“Today, I am pleased to inform you that following the directive of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government have now paid 2,100 former Nigeria Airways workers,” he said.
The minister said that the payments represented N18 billion for 2,700 former workers, adding that government recognised the long delay in settling the obligation.
He said the intervention formed part of efforts to address legitimate inherited obligations and place people at the centre of public finance.
He said the Nigeria Airways exercise involved extensive verification, including biometric capture and validation of personnel and banking information.
Oyedele said that the government would address cases involving outdated information, incorrect banking details and deceased beneficiaries whose families needed to complete required processes.
“We are determined to deal with these obligations in a fair, transparent, and orderly manner.
“As we are able to secure resources subject to proper verification, we must protect public funds from fraudulent claims.
“We must ensure that genuine beneficiaries are not denied what is legitimately theirs,” he said.
Oyedele said that the government’s first step was to meet obligations based on documented and verified records.
According to him, inflation reduced the value of money over time, but any adjustment beyond the documented obligation would require separate consideration.
He said that benefits of deceased beneficiaries would go to their next of kin, beneficiaries or estates, subject to the required legal processes.
He said the government was providing support to affected families to enable them complete the processes and access the benefits.
Oyedele said payments were being made in batches because government chose to pay beneficiaries whose records had been fully validated.
“Government can not pay claims merely because individuals present themselves as beneficiaries without completing the verification process,” he said.
The minister said that the government was also addressing outstanding obligations to pensioners and indigenous contractors as part of its wider fiscal reforms.
He said that the government had prioritised smaller contractors by initially paying those owed N50 million or less, followed by those owed N100 million or less. (NAN)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman