The Nigeria Union of Pensioners has commended President Bola Tinubu for beginning payments of N18bn in outstanding severance benefits to 2,700 former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways.
The union described the intervention as long-awaited relief for beneficiaries who had waited for more than two decades.
The union’s National President, Godwin Abumisi, said in a statement on Monday that the development showed the union’s repeated calls for payment of former workers’ entitlements had finally received the Federal Government’s attention.
The NUP said it had raised the matter through press statements, open letters to the President and other engagements, urging the government to bring relief to the affected former workers.
It described the payment as ‘justice delayed but finally delivered’ to Nigerians who dedicated their productive years to the country.
According to the union, many of the beneficiaries had struggled to meet medical expenses, feeding and family responsibilities while waiting for their entitlements, while some died before receiving their payments.
The NUP commended Tinubu, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, the Federal Ministry of Finance and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in the verification, processing and commencement of the payment.
It also praised the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit for helping ensure the payment exercise progressed.
The union, however, appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the process was completed smoothly and transparently.
It called for the proposed mop-up verification to capture genuine beneficiaries whose cases remained unresolved, including those with incorrect bank details.
The NUP also urged the government to ensure that the entitlements of deceased beneficiaries were paid to their next of kin or lawful estates after due verification and legal processes.
‘The NUP appeals to President Tinubu: please finish what you have started. Let every genuine beneficiary be captured and paid,’ the statement said.
The union also commended the President for commencing payment of Additional Exit Benefits to retirees of Treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies under the Federal Government Exit Benefit Scheme.
It said N1.1bn was being paid to 175 retirees who exited the Federal Public Service between January 1 and August 31, 2026, describing the development as another positive step towards addressing the retirement needs of former public servants.
However, the NUP renewed its appeal to Tinubu to approve the payment of the three-month N25,000 monthly palliative promised to pensioners following the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023.
The union said three years after the approval, affected pensioners were still awaiting the payment, which it said would provide relief amid prevailing economic hardship.
It urged the President to direct the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to ensure that the promised palliative was fulfilled.
The NUP also called for continued attention to outstanding pension arrears, gratuities and other retirement benefits owed at the Federal Government level.
It further appealed for intervention in the plight of state and local government pensioners who, according to the union, remain unpaid for months or, in some cases, years.
The union stressed that elderly pensioners still need food, accommodation and medicines after decades of service, noting that some have become dependent on their children, relatives, friends and neighbours to survive.
‘Pension is not charity. Gratuity is not a favour. Retirement benefits are legitimate entitlements earned through years of service,’ the NUP stated.
The union expressed appreciation for the relief being extended to former Nigeria Airways workers and retirees under the Exit Benefit Scheme, saying the interventions demonstrated the positive impact of timely government action on the lives of pensioners and retirees.