RAILWAY RETIREES BEG TINUBU TO INTERVENE IN HOUSING POLICY DISPUTE

Retired railway workers have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in a housing dispute they say has denied them the opportunity to buy the official quarters they occupied.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos on Saturday, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Railway Senior Citizens, Olusegun Esan, called for implementation of the Federal Government’s housing monetisation policy and a 2016 court judgment.

Esan said the policy, introduced in 2004/2005, was intended to reduce government spending on official residences while allowing eligible workers and retirees to purchase their homes at affordable rates.

He argued that railway retirees had not received the same opportunities as workers in other government institutions.

According to him, the prolonged dispute has caused hardship for pensioners and their families, with some dying before a resolution and others losing their accommodation.

The association urged Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation to address its grievances. It also requested compensation and resettlement support for affected retirees and widows.

Esan acknowledged that the current NRC management had discussed a possible settlement with the association. However, he said members rejected proposed lease arrangements because they believed the policy and court judgment entitled eligible occupants to outright ownership.

He maintained that the association remained open to negotiations but would not accept terms it considered inconsistent with those rights.

The association’s Secretary-General, Festus Okorie, also alleged that some retired workers displaced by redevelopment were excluded from replacement housing, even though serving employees were accommodated.

The supplied report did not include the NRC’s response or details of the court judgment needed to assess the competing positions.