By Victor Ahuima-Young

LAGOS—WORKERS of Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, over unpaid monetisation benefits since the policy was introduced by the federal government in 2005.

Abuja-Kaduna rail in ready for commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The monitisation policy was introduced by the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to check the uncontrollable proliferation of perquisites of office in the government.

In the petition by the workers through their umbrella bodies, the Nigerian Union of Railwaymen, NUR, and its Senior Staff Association, SSA, NRC branch counterpart, which was also sent to the Senate President, Dr. Olusola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Dogara Yakubu, the staff pleaded with President Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to order the management of NRC to immediately implement the monetisation policy for NRC staff.

According to the petition signed by Segun Esan, Secretary General, NUR  and Romanus Emezie, Secretary, SSA, NRC Branch, the workers claimed that despite the ruling of the National Industrial Court, NIC, last year after five years of litigation, the management of NRC had refused to implement the policy for NRC staff quarters.

The petition read in part:  “The monetization policy set out to check the uncontrollable proliferation of perquisites of office in the government which kept emptying the public treasury.

‘’One major means through which federal government has avoided heavy administrative costs of maintaining fleets of vehicles for entitled officers, retinue of domestic servants for senior officers, heavy costs of providing and maintaining housing facilities for various categories of officers is the promulgation of the monetization policy.

‘’To a significant extent and degree, federal government has been free from the burden of these costs and has empowered officers to own houses and maintain same from their enhanced financial remuneration.

“The management of Nigerian Railway Corporation lost the political will to implement the aspect of staff quarter monetization but gladly and hurriedly implemented the monetization of furniture allowance, leave grants, meal subsidy, motor vehicle loans, and indeed the aspect of consolidated salary structure which, in conformity with the monetization policy, was to be the last level of implementation of the policy.

‘’The monetization of staff quarters was left un-implemented by the management of Nigerian Railway Corporation from 2005 effective date until we went to the National Industrial Court, NIC, in 2011 to challenge the injustice.

‘’The case was adjudicated over for five years and on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, the Nigerian Railway workers were vindicated: the case ended in favour of the union and its members.

“As a responsible union with flair for due diligence and respect for the rule of law, we waited patiently to the logical end of the case for five years. We are, however, held in thrall that almost a year after the case has been decided, the management of Nigerian Railway still could not implement the policy as it relates to the staff quarters.

We, therefore, on behalf of all the staff of Nigerian Railway, turn to your Excellency to direct the Railway management to be honourable enough to honour the verdict of the competent trial court on this matter.

‘’What encourages us to turn to your Excellency as our last resort is your towering and impeccable integrity and character as a leader that has zero tolerance for corruption and injustice, more so that this policy has been implemented in other government offices like Judiciary, Aviation, Meteorological Service Department and few other places.”