The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has lamented over the continued delay in paying the entitlements of over 4,000 former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited.
In a statement signed by Ademola Onitiju, its president, he said former staff of Nigeria Airways Limited are being tossed back and forth through bureaucratic red tape as a grave injustice to patriots who dedicated the best years of their lives to serving their fatherland.
“Nigeria Airways was never a private enterprise; it was the proud national carrier and a symbol of our collective sovereignty. The men and women who worked there were dedicated professionals who served with unwavering zeal, trusting that the nation they built would care for them in their golden years. Instead, they have been subjected to over two decades of agonising neglect following the airline’s abrupt liquidation in April 2003.
“The human cost of this delay is a national tragedy and a bad omen to citizens currently serving Nigeria dedicatedly. It is uninspiring to see hundreds of elderly beneficiaries dying tragically from age-related illnesses and preventable health complications—struggling with hypertension, diabetes, and basic penury. These senior citizens could have lived dignified, qualitative lives if their rightful benefits had been timely paid,” the president said in his statement.
