The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency has attributed the delay in the payment of outstanding retirees’ entitlements to longstanding bureaucratic, policy, and pension-related challenges inherited from previous administrations.
The aviation agency insisted that the current management under its Managing Director, Farouk Umar, has taken concrete steps to resolve the issue. The agency said this while responding to allegations of laxity by the management of the organisation on workers-related issues.
NAMA spoke through a statement signed by the spokesperson for the agency, Abdullahi Musa, on Friday.
In his response to the allegations raised during a recent television interview by some aggrieved retirees, the agency said while it recognises the right of former employees to seek redress on welfare concerns, it was necessary to place the facts in proper perspective.
Musa maintained that the problem of unpaid retirees’ benefits did not originate under the present leadership. He said, “The issue of outstanding retirees’ benefits is a longstanding institutional challenge inherited from previous administrations due largely to policy implementation gaps, pension-related complications, and bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with public sector financial obligations.”
The agency stressed that, contrary to claims of neglect, the administration of Farouk had demonstrated commitment towards addressing the backlog.
The statement read partly, “Significantly, it was under Engr. Farouk’s administration, which renewed administrative attention, institutional commitment, and official approvals, secured towards addressing the outstanding obligations.
“Following engagements with relevant stakeholders and retirees’ representatives, the Managing Director immediately directed the appropriate departments to commence the necessary processes required for settlement.”
NAMA, however, explained that the disbursement process is governed by strict public service regulations that cannot be circumvented.
“Responsible governance within the public sector requires strict compliance with statutory procedures involving documentation, budgetary appropriations, administrative vetting, and government approvals before final disbursement can be effected.
“Any attempt to deliberately ignore these procedural realities and portray them as neglect is both unfair and misleading,” the agency stated.
Beyond the retirees’ issue, the agency stated that several welfare reforms have been implemented under the current administration, noting that workers have witnessed significant improvements in their conditions of service.
He said, “Under Farouk’s leadership, NAMA successfully implemented the Staff Conditions of Service in full, an achievement that eluded several previous administrations despite years of agitation by workers.”
The agency further disclosed that a new salary structure was recently approved and implemented, leading to improved remuneration for employees.
“This landmark salary enhancement demonstrates the administration’s unwavering commitment to improving the living conditions of employees and repositioning NAMA as a more motivated, efficient, and professionally competitive institution within the aviation industry,” the statement noted.