By – – John FWAH/Tajudeen AJIBADE (Veterans)
It will not be out of place to further express profound gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) for directing the payment of WORKERS of the New Nigeria Newspapers (NNN) Limited through the office of its agency the New Nigeria Development Company, (NNDC).
NNDC Building (office)
The outcry to the governors to do the needful was highly expected due to the rate at which some beneficiaries sadly departed from this world. Their demise was, and is still attributed to the non availability of funds to access feeding, medication and other sundries at this hardship period being experienced in the country.
It’s rather unfortunate that the much celebrated New Nigerian Newspapers the pride and mouth piece of the North has gone down and out.
New Nigerian was a newspaper which was sought after by all Nigerians before the advent of the Digital system. This topic about the sad and unfortunate exit of the paper from the news stands while influential, wealthy and influential northerners are watching is a shame. This is a topic for another day.
Back to the topic of payment of WORKERS of NNN:
We were excited when the news of the approval of the payment of the proceeds from the sales of NNN properties by NNDC property limited was announced. We as the retirees also commend the Chairman of the Governors Forum for the directive to the NNDC to disburse the fund to beneficiaries
However, later, we learnt that the beneficiaries are only those who retired after 2006 and those who worked for the Northern Governors in NNN, which implies that we the staff of NNN in the 70s, pioneers, are not captured for the payment. This notion or decision is totally unacceptable and wrong from which ever way you may look at it.
We were the pioneer staff of the newspaper when the Federal Government took it over as well as Daily Times. However the FG promulgated a decree for the take over of Daily Times. NNN thus became the property of the FG. However former governor of Nasarawa State Gov Abdullahi challenged Obasanjo government over lack of decree or Act by the FG, hence the hands off by FG on the newspaper.
That was the period of people like Hassan Sani, father of Senator Shehu Sani, Abdul Zuru, – Composing Room, Daniel Manga – Unionist, Alhaji M. A. Lokoja, Alhaji Othman Mairiga – Editor, Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna – INEC Commissioner, Clem Baiye, Sule Abu, Yakubu Mohammed, A. B. Ahmed, Mvendaga Jibo, Sule Iyaji, among others, talking of 74/75. There was also Bayo Salami – Chief Accountant, A. A. A. Feese – Company Secretary, Stephen Bamigbele – News editor, Stephen Ajimati accountant, Musa Umaru Yeske – Shehu Adnan, Ahmed Musa personnel department. There were Yakubu Ali, Chief Mike Pearse, Alhaji Rasak Aremu, Lawal Iro, A. Akorowe.
That was when Chief Simeon Adebo was the NNN Board Chairman, members: Teresa Bowyer, Dr Pius Okigbo, Joseph Olawoyin, Alhaji Shuaibu Makarfi, Mr Charles Sharp was the consultant and first managing director while Malam Mamma Daura took over from him as first indegenous managing director
Please take note that we are also workers of the NNN ab initio, that is to say that we were pioneers of the establishment which operated during the analog days, in addition we were privileged to be among the early staff that started the Digital in NNN under the leadership of a white man Mr R. Getting who trained the staff in the process as the newspaper joined the class of digital world.
Another important point for information is that we were staff of this newspaper when it was under the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA) which was set up to take care of properties belonging to the northern states government on the creation of 12 states. It was then the 12 northern states with governors like Musa Usman, Abba Kyari, Solomon Lar, among others.
Also note that during the period of early 70s to 80s we were staffers who witnessed the acquisition and development of the new Nigerian properties across the country and Federal Capital Territory.
Recall also that we were also staffers under the editorship of Adamu Ciroma who later became the managing director and later Governor of CBN, Mamman Daura editor and later managing director, among others.
We were also staffers who witnessed establishment of southern edition of the newspaper in Lagos to enable the paper print and publish simultaneously so as to circulate adequately across the length and breadth of this country. We are proud to be among the staffers of the only newspaper to publish both editions on the same day among competitors.
We should be captured and paid as well as like other NNN. This is because during the verification by the Pensions Transformation Administration Department (PTAD) in 2017 in Kaduna together with other government Agency agencies like the NDA civilian staff, among others, all the workers of NNN were all verified, inclusive of those who are under Compulsory Pension Scheme (CPS) and Checkoff dues, all are being paid monthly pension by PTAD as retirees of NNN without discrimination whatsoever.
Therefore the claim that the proceeds from the sale of the NNN property is for those who worked for Northern governors from 2006 is totally wrong and unfounded.
I can confidently say we who started the newspaper in the 70s really worked for northern states governors.
On the issue of Court, please note that the signatures of the retirees were the major document used to go to court.
Also note that Albert Iweka Bosah now Barrister retired as a journalist, Idi Sule personnel manager, Abdullahi Jalingo accountant and Yakubu Adele journalist and late Danlami Adamu, appeared in the court on behalf of the new Nigerian workers. Then they served as NNN retired union officials an affiliate of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) Kaduna State with Idi Sule as chairman.
It’s supposed that the prosecution of the issue in court was Pro Bono and not commercial since Albert Bosah is an affected retiree of NNN. But today it is public domain that NNDC paid them humongous N50 million as legal fee which was never discussed ab initio. It’s however surprising that the NNDC without consulting the appropriate affected retirees on whose behalf the case was filed. It’s also confirmed that NNDC paid them (Bosah, Sule, Adele and Jalingo) N20 million, not part of the legal fee but as NNN retirees.
***I hereby declare that the take over of the NNN was on paper. This was because NNN was never captured in the FG budget just like the NTA, FRCN, NAN, therefore NNN became appendage to the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government Federation for funds.
***I hereby humbly demand that the NNDC pay us our due benefits from the proceeds of the new Nigerian property which it disposed,
**** We are the first or pioneer staff who really worked for Northern States Governors way back in the 70s,
**** We were staffers under the board of Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA)
**** It was the signatures of the retirees that formed the background of the document for filing in the court
**** For the fact that, Albert Bosah, Idi Sule, Abdullahi Jalingo and Yakubu Adele, were paid N20 million, not part of the humongous legal fee, we demand that we should also be paid equally like others.
****Most importantly, since the PTAD verified all the workers across board without discrimination in 2017, We should also be paid as workers of Northern States governors who are early staffers without discrimination too.
****We strongly believe that the NNDC should honorably settle this matter amicably by paying us because we deserve it and not asking for any special favour. Finally, no attempt should be made to deny us the funds as the Omniscient, the Omnipotent the Omnipresent is Alive.
