Ex-workers’ benefits not part of liabilities handed over to Stock Exchange by BPE, says SAHCO

 

….says company not in crises

 

Posted by Sade Williams

 

Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) has said that the benefits of ex-workers of the company were not part of the liabilities handed over to the Stock Exchange in 2018 when the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was handing SAHCO over  to the NSE.

This is jus as the company has refuted the claim that SAHCO is in crises due to a revolution of a group of aggrieved ex-workers of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL).

In a statement  signed by the spokesperson for SAHCO, Adetola Vanessa Unansohia, the company  said that  ‘in a meeting which had in attendance the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE) and the Chairman of SAHCO, the BPE resolved that the benefits of the ex- staff of SAHCOL is to be borne by the Government, through the BPE and not SAHCO.

It noted that the DG however promised to meet with the Union for further negotiations.

“It should be noted that SAHCO was officially listed as a PLC in 2018, and while BPE was handing over SAHCO to the Stock Exchange, these benefits was not part of the liabilities handed over. Hence, SAHCO is not responsible for the payment.

“The fortress of SAHCO has grown since Dr. Taiwo Afolabi bought SAHCOL from the Federal Government with a huge influx of ultra modern equipment, building of the best warehouses in West Africa, massive employment of manpower and intense trainings which has made SAHCO a pride amongst one of the best organisation in Nigeria to work with.

“SAHCO has experienced an influx of choice Airline and Cargo clients from both Nigeria and abroad due to the intense improvement and adherence to global best practices. SAHCO who is an ISAGO and RA3 certified service provider, also has a team of engineers who builds aviation ground support equipment from locally sourced equipment all in a bid to exceed customer expectations at all times.”, the statement reads

Recently, SAHCO celebrated her clients during the Customer Service week with a raffle draw of choice gifts and letters of acknowledgment to show how much they mean to SAHCO. These gestures of gratitude were well received by the clients and they expressed their appreciation for the topmost aviation ground service which they are enjoying as SAHCO’s clients.

Recall that last Wednesday, the ex-workers claimed their colleagues were dying in droves as there was no hope in sight on who pays the severance benefits of the workers.

At least, more than 15 of the 982 ex-workers have died while majority are incapacitated, Ochai Adamu, who spoke on behalf of the retirees at a press conference at the headquarters of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) at Lagos Airport, had  said.

He said they want the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) intervene in the matter immediately as the SAHCO has handed off payment of the benefits.

He explained that when the computation of the amount accruable to the workers were done, it was N3.5 billion but was later reduced to N1.8 billion, adding that none of the workers has been paid anything almost 12 years after the privatisation of the company.

“The issue is who will pay this money.? SAHCO MD said it is BPE that will pay the money , they said we did not work for SAHCO but for government, the first money was paid in 2013 bit it was a peanut, our lawyers took up the matter in 2013 but majority of our people have died, more than 15 people,  some are unable to walk”, he added.