…berate Adeosun, as one collapse during protest
From Suleiman Idris, Lagos
Ex-staff of the liquidated Nigeria Airways yesterday brought activities at the Lagos airport terminals to a halt as they protest the Federal Government’s delay in paying their severance benefits of N45 billion that the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) approved for disbursement.
The protesting workers and pensioners blocked the Lagos Airport road and caused traffic gridlock for four hours extending to Maryland from the Mobolaji Johnson extension in Ikeja and Oshodi axis from the Agege motorway axis.
They specifically lashed out at the Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun for allegedly delaying the payment of the said sum 10 months after it was approved and asked the President to direct her to pay them.
Carrying placard with various inscriptions, they said the protest was part of efforts to remind President Muhammadu Buhari’s attention to their plight as a majority of them have died while other becomes destitute in different locations in the country.
The placards reads “ President Buhari save us from Kemi Adeosun now”, “ Adeosun, stop the tide of avoidable death”, “ Buhari direct Adeosun to pay us now” among others.
During the peaceful protest and marched from the premises of Skypower Catering Limited, opposite the Nigerian Air Force base to the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, a pensioner, Mrs. Josephine Iwasomi collapsed along the way before she was revive.
Chairman, Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Nigeria Airways branch, Sam Nzene, told reporters that the leadership of the union are daily harassed by security agencies claiming they were conniving with Ministry of Finance officials to flee the federal government.
