FG Clears Ex-Nigeria Airways Workers’ N18bn Outstanding Severance Payment

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The N18 billion outstanding severance payment of former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways has now been cleared by the federal government.

Over two decades ago, the Nigerian government liquidated the nation’s national carrier, but the employees were not fully paid their gratuities, as required.

Some days ago, the government began clearing the debt. The first set of the ex-workers covered batches 1 to 7, with the eighth and ninth batches expected to receive their payments in the coming days, according to a statement from the Finance Ministry on Friday.

It was stated that a total of 2,700 persons were given N18 billion to conclude payment of the outstanding severance benefits.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu earlier approved the payment, but to make the exercise seamless, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, directed that the relevant processes for identifying eligible beneficiaries, validating records and establishing the financial obligations be pursued.

“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them.

“Our responsibility is to confront outstanding obligations, complete the necessary processes and, once the resources are secured, ensure that the people affected feel the impact of government positively,” Mr Oyedele stated.

According to him, the exercise demonstrates what can be achieved when government institutions work together to resolve longstanding issues, adding that the objective is to ensure that legitimate beneficiaries receive their approved entitlements while maintaining the necessary safeguards around public funds.

It was stated that the payment process has involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure that funds are paid to the rightful beneficiaries.

The Director in charge of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit (PICA) Department, Mr Seldam Dangin, the Ministry is preparing a second phase, a mop up exercise, to capture beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.

He said the exercise will focus on updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details. It will also address cases involving deceased beneficiaries, with next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payment.

The mop up exercise is expected to commence by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.