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BPE explains inability to pay N1.8b severance benefits to ex-staff of SAHCOL

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) says, the compulsory contribution to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is frustrating it efforts in setting N1.8 billion accruing to the former staff of the Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) as severance
benefits.

In 2018, the BPE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the former staff through their unions to pay the benefits worth N1.8billion and also set up a Negotiation Committee to ensure the
implementation of the MoU.

The BPE in a letter signed by Mr. Taibudeen Oduniyi, the Director for Post Transaction Management, dated October 11, 2022 addressed to the General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE),Comrade Ocheme Aba indicated that, the Bureau is having a hard time fulfilling its agreement with the former workers because of it’s contribution to the TSA.

According to the letter, attempts made to get the attention of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed for funds to settle the retrenched workers has proved abortive.

The Bureau lamented that the Federal Government’s policy, which compelled all agencies, departments and ministries to contribute to the TSA is holding it down from implementing the agreement.

“Also recall that at the inception of this administration in 2015, all funds of government agencies and MDAs were swept into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), thus disabling us financially. Given this scenario, our only option was to write to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning for funds to settle you, which we did via our memo on May 19, 2022.

 “We have employed several persons to assist and our last being a visit to one of the Directors with the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on Friday 7, 2022. We are not relenting and any support from your end will be highly appreciated”.

The BPE therefore called on the workers to show more understanding in getting the issue resolved.

The letter and appeal by the BPE has not gone well with the workers who had been sacked since 2010 by the new owners of SAHCOL now Skyway Aviation Handling Company SAHCO Plc.

There are indications of an industrial unrest if this is not resolved quickly as one of the aggrieved staff said; they have started mobilizing their members for a peaceful protest in November.

“The BPE in 2018, after agreeing that we were entitled to the several packages, promised to pay us, but four years after this, we are yet to get anything from the bureau. They are even asking us to assist them in getting the money out of the Ministry of Finance. How can we do
that when we are not the government?”.

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