By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

Over 800 former workers of the defunct New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN) under the Northern States Governors Forum are crying out over the prolonged non-payment of their benefits, totaling N2.1 billion.

According to the beneficiaries, 106 of their colleagues have died waiting for their dues as of January 2025, leaving many others in dire poverty.

In a joint statement signed by Alhaji Sadiq Tela (Elders Forum) and Friday Sule (Joint Union of NNN), the beneficiaries expressed frustration over the delay, despite the resolution of a legal battle that had stalled payments for over a decade.

The dispute stemmed from a lawsuit filed by former NNN employees Barrister Albert Iweka and Idi Sule, which led to a garnishee order freezing the account of New Capital Properties Limited (NCPL) ? where proceeds from NNN asset sales were deposited.

After years of legal wrangling, a court-approved settlement on November 27, 2024, lifted the freeze and resolved all claims ? except those of the NNN beneficiaries.

?More than 100 days after the settlement, we remain abandoned, suffering in extreme poverty while the funds meant for us remain unpaid,? the statement lamented.

While the beneficiaries acknowledged the efforts of Kaduna State?s Secretary to the Government in engaging with the Northern Nigeria Development Company and the Northern Governors? Secretariat, they insisted that only decisive action from the Northern Governors? Forum, led by Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, could end their plight.

?In the spirit of Ramadan, we beg our governors to show mercy,? they pleaded. ?Many of us cannot even afford to break our fast, while our families suffer.?

The affected workers, who support nearly 10,000 dependents, urged the Northern Governors to urgently release their entitlements before more lives are lost.