FAAN Evicts Retired NiMET Staffs From Official Quarters

 

Residence of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria quarters popularly calls (FAAN quarters) by Ikeja along bus stop in Ikeja Lagos on Friday the shock of their lives when officials of FAAN storm the estate, breaking into people houses packed their personal belongings out and lock-up the flats.

When our correspondent discovered that about 12 flats were pack out, but saw residents of 10 flats trying to get their belonging together and are at various stages of packing.

All of those packed out were said to have retired from government service and were said to have paid for their houses during the president Obasanjo monetization scheme of the government. The affected staff are from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET)

According to Mrs. Sussy Agu, who is representing some of the evicted retirees persons said “ We represent 9 retirees of Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET) in a matter pending before Hon Justice Essien at the National industrial court in suit No. NICN/ LA/ 336/2019.

The retirees were offered the various flats they then occupied as staff of Nimet under the Federal Government monetisation policy. They all made full payments to the presidential implementation committee and had remained in possession ever since only awaiting their certificate of occupancies.

Only recently, they received quit notices from NIMET asking them to vacate their flats. This resulted in the said action at the NICN where the retirees are seeking declarations that having acquired leasehold interest in the flats, the FG cannot evict them as threatened. They also sought in the alternative, compensation should the FG insists on not giving effect to their rights over the flats.

The NICN per Hon.  Justice Essien made orders directing parties to maintain the status quo in the matter and further directed that parties should explore amicable settlement of the matter in view of its sensitive nature.

In a rather bizarre twist, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria today came to the flats, broke in through the roof, and threw the occupants out. They destroyed the roofs, ceilings, and Louvres and left with some of their valuables.

FAAN had served quit notices on the retirees sometimes last 2 weeks giving them 7 days to vacate the Flats. We immediately wrote to them informing them of the suit pending and the order of the court. A motion was thereafter filed to join FAAN to the action. That motion has since been served on FAAN.

Despite being aware of the case and the subsisting injunctive order of Court, some staff of FAAN led by its GM, administration, Mr. M. D Musa, together with 3 staff of NIMET and hundreds of area boys came today to throw the retirees out of their flats leaving them out in the cold after serving Nigeria for over 35 years.

The sister of one of the victims who refuse to disclose her name said that her brother is a good man who dedicated himself to the service of the nation and does not deserve to be treated this way. “What if he was corrupt as all the big politicians, by now he would have had houses and will on have to suffer such humiliation.”

Most of the victims refuse to speak as they were to shock to say anything, while those who offer to say something used unprintable words on the authorities of FAAN and the government.

All effort to get FAAN or NIMET's official side of the story proved to be abortive as most of their officials were not on sit to respond to question with regard to these evictions.