By Ibrahim Adamu, Kaduna
Workers of New Nigerian Newspapers have called on Governors of 19 of Northern states who are owners of the Company to fast track the process of paying staff of the Newspaper their entitlements in the interest of justice and fairness.
According to a communique jointly signed by the Joint chairman, Nicholas Dekera and Ibrahim Adamu for joint secretary, the appeal was chorused at a congress held on the premises of the company in Kaduna to deliberate on ways forward for the company which is now into online publication since it suspended production of hard copies since 2015, both serving and retired workers of the company have challenged Northern states Governors to as a matter of urgency resume the process of liquidating assets of the company earlier suspended due to a court order which has now been vacated to enable workers of the company live a normal life many of whom have lost their lives due to lack of finance to take care of their health.
“Our members have been living in penury and abject poverty. Many have been ejected by their landlords, many could not pay their children school fees and other expenses that are vital to a good life due to lack of salaries.
“It is high time owners of the company looked into the issue of workers of New Nigerian Newspapers with compassionate and do the needful by paying the staff their accumulated salaries.
“Many Governors of Northern states have come and gone without doing anything meaningful to address the plights of workers of New Nigerian.
“We are however, optimistic that success would be achieved with the current set of Governors who have moved a step forward in the process of liquidating assets of the company to pay staff off.
“We are urging them now to continue with the process for the benefits of all parties involved,” according to the communiqué,” it stated.
The workers however commended the federal Government for commencing payment of pension to workers who had worked under the FG ownership of the company.
The communiqué also acknowledged the important roles played by Northern States Governors who facilitated the release from the Federal Government the sum of 2.1 billion Naira for pensioners.
