Ministry Investigates Sacked NPA Staff Benefits’ Non-Payment

The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has waded into the alleged non-payment of miscellaneous benefits payable to 520 disengaged staff of Nigeria Ports Authority of May, 2008.

Senator Umar in a statement signed by Deputy Director, South West for the minister stated that the ministry had been directed to furnish him with details of the alleged short change made by the NPA in the payment of their terminal benefits.

According to the statement, the request would enable the ministry take appropriate actions on the alleged non-payment and a way forward of resolving the issues claimed.

The Tide correspondent gathered that the management of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has claimed that it had paid the disengaged workers of  May 2008 all their terminal benefits.

The benefits, our correspondent further learnt include gratuity, one year pension, ten per cent of one year pension and repatriation allowances.

The statement dated March 20, 2012, from the Federal Minsitry of Transport requested the aggrieved workers to expedite action to clarify the areas of short changing and non-payment of benefits to assist the ministry on their next line of action on the matter.

It would be recalled that the sacked workers had written several letters protesting their premature retirement and bridge of agreement reached between the management of NPA and the two house unions to effect payment of their terminal benefits in full on the monetized rate.

The Tide correspondent gathered that the payment of monetised rate was approved for implementation within the organisation with effect from January, 2008.

Collins Barasimeye