Missing presidential approval document stalls ₦36 billion severance payment for former Nigeria Airwa
The long-running saga surrounding the unpaid severance entitlements of former Nigeria Airways employees has taken an unexpected turn, with revelations that the ₦36 billion final settlement package approved by the Federal Government over a year ago remains frozen because officials are unable to locate the presidential approval document required to authorise its release. This startling discovery emerged from a fact-finding mission carried out in Abuja by a delegation of Concerned Elders representing the former workers and pensioners of the defunct national carrier.
The four-member team, made up of Alhaji Ore Salako, Engr. Ayuba Kyari, Capt. Prex Porbeni and Mr. Chris Aligbe, undertook the mission after months of mounting frustration among the affected retirees and their families. During the visit, the delegates engaged with senior officials at the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), seeking clarity on why the disbursement had stalled despite the government's approval granted in June 2025.
According to the delegation, Ministry of Finance officials disclosed that when the newly appointed Minister of Finance attempted to process the payment, the presidential approval underpinning the ₦36 billion disbursement could not be traced within official government records. This account was independently confirmed by senior officials at the Accountant-General's Office and PICA, who emphasised that the missing approval document remains the single most significant obstacle blocking the release of funds. They explained that although efforts are ongoing to identify and earmark the necessary money, the disbursement simply cannot proceed without the formal presidential authorisation in place.
Officials further warned that should the original document fail to surface, the entire matter may need to be re-presented to the President, since the amount involved exceeds the approval threshold available to the Minister of Finance. This would inevitably trigger a fresh round of administrative procedures, prolonging an already painful wait for pensioners, many of whom have endured more than two decades of uncertainty over their rightful entitlements.
In addition to engaging the finance authorities, the delegation also visited the Ministry of Aviation, where officials gave assurances that the concerns raised would be brought to the urgent attention of the Minister and Permanent Secretary. Formal letters were subsequently delivered to both the Ministers of Finance and Aviation, urging swift intervention to unlock the release of these long-overdue entitlements.
Describing the trip as a vital breakthrough, the Concerned Elders noted that the mission had finally uncovered the true cause of the protracted delay. They emphasised that the difficulty is not rooted in a shortage of funds but rather in the inability of the responsible authorities to locate the presidential approval document required to complete the payment cycle. The group pledged to continue tracing the missing paperwork through every relevant government channel while maintaining sustained engagement with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Aviation, the Office of the Accountant-General and PICA until this decades-old severance issue is finally resolved.
For the wider African aviation community, this development carries broader significance. The story of Nigeria Airways and the unresolved welfare of its former workforce continues to serve as a sobering reminder of the importance of strong governance, transparent record-keeping and institutional accountability in the management of state-owned aviation enterprises. As several African nations explore or revive the idea of national carriers, the lessons emerging from Nigeria's experience are highly instructive, particularly the need to safeguard employee welfare frameworks and ensure that legacy obligations are honoured promptly and respectfully.
The delegation also acknowledged the contributions of supportive colleagues and benefactors, including ValueJet Chairman Hon. Kunle Soname, whose backing was instrumental in facilitating the Abuja mission. As efforts intensify to retrieve the missing approval, the hope across Nigeria's aviation fraternity is that justice, long delayed, will at last be delivered to those who built the country's pioneering carrier.
