Mr President sir, according to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, humiliate means to make someone feel ashamed or stupid, especially when other people (Nigerians and the world here) are present (and watching). Indeed, it totally means, to embarrass someone. Furthermore sir, humiliation, according to the same quoted dictionary, therefore, means, a feeling of shame and great embarrassment to look stupid or weak; a situation that makes you feel humiliated. And this, totally encapsulates the situation of ex-staff of Nigeria Airways Ltd: the immensely loyal but long-suffering workers of the defunct national airline of Nigeria that actually flew with few air-mishaps; one of the few places in black Africa of its time that practically proved that the blackman can do his own thing near-perfectly well in flight, engineering and ground handling with minimal mishandlings; and etc of other great feats which she attained provably in the world of Aviation and in the national development of the Nigerian nation-state.
Mr President sir, let me re-emphasise the topic of this write-up: “Please help to stop the further humiliation of ex-staff of Nigeria Airways.” Sir, you promised during the electioneering campaign in order to become the President, that you will end the horrendous sufferings of Nigeria Airways staff (which former President Olusegun Obasanjo enmeshed them into and which subsequent governments after him did nothing to alleviate–except President Umar Yaradua who had humane feelings and paid them only five years of their entitlement). Indeed, your campaign promise in this direction enlivened and elevated the spirits of the seemingly hopeless ex-staff of Nigeria Airways: And they seemingly voted for you enmasse. You won and continued to promise them you will pay them their full entitlements. And this culminated in your government’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) decision in 2017–which you personally presided over, to pay them their entitlement (some say a percentage of it–an unauthenticated source say 7.5 years or 10 years). And the ex-staff of the former National Carrier with good faith in your goodness towards them accepted wholeheartedly (hoping that the remaining will be paid later; believing also, that half bread is better than none.
But since then sir, nearly one year after it was widely reported that your approval for this said payment of the entitlements of ex-staff of Nigeria Airways had been given through your presided-over Federal Executive Council (FEC), it has not been paid to them. The ding-dong song of “it will be paid soon” by highly- placed government officials has grown into an uncomfortable songs of confusion on the part of the singers and an exasperating one on those it is meant for–the ex-staff of Nigeria Airways (and many of them are suffering greatly and actually dying daily).
Mr President sir, if this scenario that has led to the non-payment of the entitlements of those who served Nigeria well in the past (albeit in Nigeria Airways–the only National Airline then), is not humiliation, what is it? After being assured that an approval of N45 Billion will be paid as their entitlement by your government’s Federal Executive Council: which you presided over, nearly a year a go, and it is not yet paid till date, why is this so sir? Mr President, some of us believe your government is a government driven by integrity–which matches its’ words with action; then, why is the approved disengagement-entitlements payment not yet paid to the ex-staff of Nigeria Airways in-line with this your well known government integrity-quotient? Methinks our country is not a Banana Republic (where policy-pronouncements of government is not made actionable for positive impact; and for the alleviation of the sufferings of any or many other of its citizens: Please sir, don’t allow anybody or situation to make it so in our country).
Mr President sir, both the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance should be made to clearly and fully explain why the approved payment of the entitlements of the ex-staff of Nigeria Airways has not being paid, nearly one year after your approval through the Federal Executive Council (which you presided over). Many ex-staff of Nigeria Airways (who practically expended their youth-energy, intelligence, immense patriotism and loyalty to their nation) are suffering gargantuanly; and many are indeed dying! The only sin maybe (emphasis: maybe) the ex-staff of Nigeria Airways committed, is serving their nation, in her only National Airline then: Nigeria Airways. In all sir, let their disengagement-entitlement be paid to them soonest, as you promised (even before you were elected and which caused many of them to vote for you), and has approved. Indeed, the payment has been approved by your Federal Executive Council which you presided over; therefore, it should be carried out with due respect to Presidential approvals; and for the sake of alleviation of the humongous sufferings and dying ex-staff of Nigeria Airways.
Additionally Mr President sir, we should always remember that the humiliation of any citizen, in any way or form is not good! We should also remember that the official humiliation of any Nigerian equates to the humiliation of every Nigerian and the Nigerian nation. Indeed, ex-staff of Nigeria Airways who are patriotic citizens have, in many ways, been humiliated enough. Since the forceful and illegal closure (not yet approved by the National Assembly through the abrogation of the Act that established the National Airline), by the Obasanjo led government in 2004, they have not been fully paid their disengagement entitlements. And many, indeed thousands of them, have died without receiving their deserved entitlements.
Mr President sir, please help to stop the mammoth suffering of ex-staff of Nigeria Airways! Mr President sir, please help to stop the painful deaths of many ex-staff of Nigeria Airways (who indeed served Nigeria patriotically, nationalistically and loyally). Thank you Mr President and may God bless you and our country: Nigeria.
Written by Ejike Kingsley Osuji.
ekosuji@yahoo.com
