By Adekunle Williams /Solomon Asowata
Lagos – Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Thursday, forcefully evicted six retirees of the parastatal from their quarters within the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it took a combined team of Policemen and FAAN officials, who stormed the quarters in the early hours of Thursday to evict the retirees.
Some of the affected retirees, however, made arrangements to hurriedly move their properties out of the quarters.
The Chairman of Aviation Parastatals Retirees, Chief Thadeus Obidike, condemned the move by the FAAN authorities, adding that it violated existing agreement between it and its workers.
He said this was especially so, because the staff were covered in the monetisation policy of the Federal Government.
Obidike said the matter was already before a competent Court of jurisdiction, stressing that FAAN`s action was, therefore, uncalled for.
The Acting General Manager, FAAN Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said the authority took the right steps by evicting the retirees having served them series of notices.
According to her, the six affected retirees are the first batch who had abused the privilege granted by the authority.
“FAAN took the right steps to secure the duty quarters so that serving staff in essential operations department could have accommodation to respond on time to emergencies.
“FAAN evicted the retirees from the duty quarters because the affected persons have been paid their gratuity and other entitlement in the last one year.
“They have to vacate the duty quarters because FAAN has paid them and written several notices to them,’’ Yakubu said.
She further said that the evicted retirees were also given an ultimatum and made to sign letters of undertaking to move out of the premises which they did not comply with.
The spokesperson said the issue of FAAN harassing the retirees did not arise, because it acted within the laws of the land.
She said the apartments could not be sold because they were for essential staff, adding that those thinking otherwise, should disabuse their minds from such notion.
Yakubu further explained that the provisions made for the eviction of staff from official quarters in the condition of service, had been complied with by FAAN.
She, therefore, maintained that the affected retirees were just giving excuses, “that does not hold any water’’.
“They should plan for retirement, it is lack of planning that leads to this type of embarrassment of holding on to government houses after retiring from service.
“If they do not leave, how will serving staff have quarters to occupy?
“Duty houses are needed to run the airport system effectively.’’ Yakubu said.