Ex-workers of Nigeria Airways Ltd. on Wednesday hailed the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s Presidential Election.
The ex-workers of the defunct national carrier thanked Nigerians for re-electing the president who garnered 15.1 million votes to defeat his closest rival, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (Party) who polled 11.2 million votes.
The spokesperson for the ex-workers, Mr Lookman Animashaun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Buhari’s victory was well deserved.
Animashaun recalled that Nigeria Airways ex-workers and pensioners had on Feb. 8 staged a mega rally at the Lagos airport to declare their support for Buhari who approved N22.6 billion for part payment of their severance packages.
“We want to congratulate ourselves and all Nigerians for giving another opportunity to Buhari to come back as our president for the next four years.
“We thank the Almighty Allah for being gracious to him to achieve that feat.
“What we implore the president to do is to continue the good job, especially in his anti-corruption fight.
“He should make sure that he strengthens the institutions created to fight corruption like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC).’’
According to Animashaun, pensioners are very happy with the president, urging him to continue to put smiles on their faces by paying their pensions as at when due.
According to him, Buhari should also focus more on the economy in order to make life easier for Nigerians who have put their trust in him.
On the aviation sector, he said the re-election of Buhari had increased the chances of establishing a new national carrier like the defunct Nigeria Airways.
“I think the president should establish the new national carrier in this second term so that the airline can start operations and Nigerians will be happy.
“We want our children and younger ones to benefit from that legacy that Nigeria Airways left behind.
“Also, the president has promised to pay the outstanding entitlements of the Nigeria Airways ex-workers in the next few months and we are very optimistic about it.’’
NAN reports that the former national carrier was liquidated in 2004 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government without paying the workers their severance packages as stipulated in extant labour laws.
The workers were paid a fraction of their entitlements by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s regime in 2008 before Buhari approved the payment of N22.6 billion, out of their N45 billion entitlements.
