Missing presidential approval document delaying N36bn entitlement payment — Ex-Nigeria Airways workers
By Nnasom David
A delegation of concerned elders representing former employees of Nigeria Airways has disclosed that the delay in the disbursement of the approved N36 billion final tranche of workers’ entitlements is due to the inability of government authorities to locate the presidential approval document authorising the payment.
The delegation made this known after a fact-finding mission to Abuja from June 16 to June 18, 2026, aimed at ascertaining the status of the long-awaited payment and identifying the factors responsible for the delay.
According to a statement made available to *Vanguard* on Thursday, the team comprised Alhaji Ore Salako, Engr. Ayuba Kyari, Capt. Prex Porbeni, and Mr. Chris Aligbe. During the visit, they held consultations with officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development as well as the Federal Ministry of Finance.
At the Ministry of Finance, officials reportedly informed the delegation that arrangements had already been set in motion to begin payment following approval of the N36 billion entitlement. However, an examination of the relevant records revealed that the presidential approval document required to authorise the release of the funds could not be found.
The elders said they were assured that the payment process had not been abandoned and remains active, but the missing approval document has emerged as the principal obstacle preventing the completion of the exercise.
A Technical Adviser to the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Akor Abbah, also confirmed that officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) identified the missing presidential approval as the major challenge delaying payment.
The statement noted that Abbah explained that since the amount involved exceeds the approval limit of the Minister of Finance, a fresh request may need to be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu if the original approval document cannot be recovered.
The delegation further revealed that letters had been submitted to the Ministers of Finance and Aviation, requesting their intervention in resolving the issue. The elders described the Abuja mission as productive, saying it provided clarity on the cause of the delay and outlined the steps necessary to facilitate the payment of outstanding entitlements to former Nigeria Airways workers and pensioners.