Former workers of defunct national telecom carrier, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and Mobile Telecommunications Limited (M-Tel), under the auspices of Association of Former Telecoms Employees of Nigeria have cried to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the payment of their pensions.

This follows the recent approval by Buhari of a N45 billion severance package to be paid to workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways.

According to a press release issued on Sunday by Gabriel Oluti, President of the association, the workers were only paid a five-year buy out pension when the company was privatized under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as against 25 years pension entitlement.

This follow the recent approval by Buhari that N45 billion severance package should be paid to workers of the now liquidated Nigeria Airways.

While noting that NITEL was also liquidated like the Nigerian Airways after its privatization failed, the association said its members are now languishing in abject poverty and many have died due to lack of proper healthcare.

They argued that about N93 billion pension fund belonging to their members is lying fallow after the Federal Government liquidated the company.

“When they paid us, it was just five years buy- out instead of 25 years and it was paid in piece meal between 2007 and 2010 and we went to the Court to challenge this injustice,” Oluti said

“It is interesting to know that the management of NITEL then, and the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), under the leadership of Nasir El-Rufai illegally and criminally liquidated our pension scheme, our properties were sold and the money sent to the government coffers and other entitlement withheld till date.

“Our pension scheme was liquidated without our knowledge. We made PTAD to know that we are not part of the monthly pension payment recently directed by the Federal Government because we are entitled to pension for life.

“Two hundred and fifty staff buses bought by staff were sold, the mortgage was also not remitted with the Federal Mortgage Bank, the canteen and other properties sold should be paid for.”

Oluti said he and his members are asking the President to implement the court order by directing the Federal Ministry of Finance to release the counterpart fund for the liquidator so that he can add his own counterpart fund and pay them.