AFTER a decade of legal battles, retired workers of the defunct New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) are still awaiting the payment of their gratuities and pensions, with the death toll among them now reaching 107.
The Joint Union of New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) retirees confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that another beneficiary, Mr. Zakka Bitiyong of the Commercial Printing Department and Radio Room, passed away on March 11, 2025, further worsening the crisis.
“With submission to the will of God Almighty, I wish to announce the death of our former colleague in person of Mr. Zakka Bitiyong, Commercial Printing Department and Radio Room. His death occurred last night, March 11, 2025.”
“About 29 other beneficiaries waiting for this payment from Northern Governors are severely sick and hospitalized,” the surviving retirees added.
A statement signed by Alhaji Sadiq Tela on behalf of the Elders Forum and Friday Sule for the Joint Union of the New Nigerian Newspapers (JUNNN), stated that there was an understanding “following the recent out-of-court settlement between Northern Governors versus Albert Iweka and Co., which was adopted on November 27, 2024, by the Federal High Court as facilitated by New Nigerian beneficiaries. Expectations have been high, given the extreme poverty orchestrated by this pending benefit.”
“Northern Governors raked in 7 billion naira after selling New Nigerian Newspaper properties in the name of paying NNN beneficiaries, but until now, not a penny has been paid out of the 2.5 billion naira owed to the retirees,” the union officials said.
They lamented the protracted dilemma of non-payment of their benefits amounting to N2.1 billion, stressing that the death toll of members waiting for this benefit has reached 107 at the last count.
“Recall that the duo of Barrister Iweka and Idi Sule, all former workers of the New Nigerian Newspapers, had dragged Northern Governors to court over payments of check-off dues and later obtained a garnishee order that froze New Capital Properties Limited (NCPL) account, where the proceeds of sales of NNN assets were domiciled,” the statement stressed.
“Following the painstaking efforts by New Nigerian beneficiaries, the matter was squashed, and all garnishee orders instituted earlier were vacated, and all parties duly settled except New Nigerian beneficiaries.”
Tela explained that more than 100 days after the vacation of the 10-year-old scorching court matter, all New Nigerian beneficiaries who served the 19 Northern Governors are still wandering in the wilderness in pain and gnashing of teeth.
However, the retirees lauded the incumbent Secretary to the State Government of Kaduna, who has so far soothed our wounds via strategic engagements with the Northern Nigeria Development Company and the Northern Governors’ Secretariats, saying, “These efforts are consoling, but given the reality of the economic hardship, the over 800 beneficiaries, who have almost 10,000 mouths to feed, are already in tears.
“The Northern Governors, under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, have the deciding powers for the destiny of almost 1,000 New Nigerian beneficiaries.
“We seize this opportunity to beg our Northern Governors’ Forum to come to our aid as the death toll of NNN beneficiaries awaiting payment has reached 106 as of January 2025.
“In the spirit of Ramadan, we beg our Northern Governors to show mercy on our families as most of us are unable to break fast.”