By Benedict Salami
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) branch of the Federal Parastatal and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPA) has announced plans for a nationwide protest across the nation’s airports.
This is to commence February 15, 2025, citing a lack of dialogue with FAAN management regarding several pressing issues.
At a general meeting held at the local airport in Ikeja, FEPPPA FAAN branch General Secretary, Comrade Emeka Njoku, expressed disappointment over the new FAAN management’s alleged failure to address pensioners’ concerns.
He stated that despite numerous attempts to communicate with management, including written correspondence, no meeting has been scheduled to discuss the challenges faced by over 1,000 FAAN pensioners.
“We have written to FAAN Management to call for meetings to discuss all these outstanding issues which they have not done. We are watching and this year, we will not tolerate such neglect from FAAN Management. We have to correct the neglect and anomalies”.
Key grievances include the deterioration of medical facilities previously available to pensioners, the non-implementation of the national minimum wage for pensioners, and the management’s failure to adhere to a 2002 agreement linking pension increases to salary adjustments.
Comrade Njoku claimed that while a N32,000 minimum wage was granted to FAAN pensioners, the current management has not applied subsequent salary increases to pensions as per the established agreement.
He also alleged a lack of transparency regarding the platform used to calculate pensioners’ entitlements.
“From now till the 15th of this month, if they fail to call us for a meeting, we will mobilize our members throughout the country for a protest”.
The pensioners scribe emphasized that while FAAN management engages with other unions on workers’ welfare, they have neglected the pensioners.
However, FAAN Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, told our correspondent via telephone that she received the pensioners’ letter in October and scheduled a meeting for December 19, 2024, following further correspondence.
Mrs. Kuku affirmed her willingness to meet with the pensioners, stating her availability for meetings every Tuesday and Thursday.
