The longstanding problem of unpaid benefits totaling N2.1 billion has caused great frustration among beneficiaries of the New Nigerian Newspapers, which are assoiated with the Northern States Governors Forum. As of January 2025, the number of members who have tragically died while waiting for these payments has reached 106.
According to a statement released by Friday Sule representing the Joint Union of the New Nigerian Newspapers and Alhaji Sadiq Tela on behalf of the Elders Forum, highlighted that “following the recent out-of-court settlement between the Northern Governors and Albert Iweka and Co, which was ratified on 27th November 2024 by the Federal High Court, expectations have soared due to the extreme poverty exacerbated by the delay in these benefits.”
The Northern Governors were previously sued by Barrister Iweka and Idi Sule, former employees of the New Nigerian Newspapers, for failing to pay check-off dues. They were successful in obtaining a garnishee order that froze the account of New Capital Properties Limited (NCPL), which held the proceeds from the sale of NNN assets.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of the New Nigerian Beneficiaries, the case was eventually dismissed, and all previous garnishee orders were vacated, with all parties duly settled except for the New Nigerian Beneficiaries,” the statement emphasised.
The statement further hinted, “More than 100 days have passed since the resolution of this decade-long court battle, yet all New Nigerian Beneficiaries who served the 19 Northern Governors continue to suffer in silence, overwhelmed by pain and despair.”
The present Secretary to the State Government of Kaduna, however, has received acclaim from the workers for offering some respite through strategic talks with the Northern Governors’ Secretariats and the Northern Nigeria Development Company. “These efforts are comforting, but in light of the harsh economic realities, the over 800 beneficiaries who have nearly 10,000 dependants are left in tears,” they added.
The statement reiterated that, “The Northern Governors, led by Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, possess the authority to shape the futures of nearly 1,000 New Nigerian Beneficiaries.”
“We take this opportunity to implore our Northern Governors’ Forum to extend their support, as the death toll of NNN beneficiaries awaiting payment has sadly risen to 106 as of January 2025.”
“As many of us are having difficulty breaking our fast, we implore our Northern Governors to be empathetic towards our families in the spirit of Ramadan.” they pleaded.
