Aviation Unions Set To Shut Down Airports Nationwide
Speaking for the unions yesterday, the Secretary General of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba on what the unions termed: ‘That the aviation road map may not become aviation mishap’, the unions called on the federal government and the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to urgently halt the demolition plans and other numerous projects already set aside in less than three months the government has.
Besides kicking against the demolition of the head offices of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) andthe Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Lagos, the unions called for immediate review of airports concession plans to give room for thorough scrutiny that will ensure that all valid interests are protected with the cause of the nation properly served.
While describing the planned demolition of the aviation agencies in Lagos as ill timed and and suspicious at a time the country is going into electioneering activities, the three unions declared: “We call on the Minister of Aviation to put his plan to demolish the Headquarters of FAAN, NAMA, and NCAA in Lagos on hold pending proper evaluation, planning and better timing.
“We consider that this plan, in the name of the so called aerotropolis, is ill intended, ill advised, and wrongly timed. We hereby serve notice that any attempt to demolish any of these buildings at this time will be met with immediate action of cessation of work at all airports in Nigeria accompanied by public demonstrations nationwide.
“We call for the urgent review of the Concession of the MMA2 being operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation. The continuation of this concession without a valid agreement with FAAN, and the unending alterations of the concession period by the concessionaire unilaterally without challenge is clear evidence that those in power care little about national interest. Our unions will commence our dissent against the current opaque exercise by declaring operation occupy of the MMA2 in conjunction with the NLC, TUC, and Civil Society.”
The three unions, NUATE, the Association of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), used the time to condemn the choice of Ethiopian Airlines as the core investor in the proposed national Cartier, Nigeria Air saying: “We wish to seize this opportunity to join other aviation stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to condemn in strong terms the intention of the Ministry of Aviation to cede majority shareholding in the national carrier, Nigeria Air, to Ethiopian Airlines.
“This intention is perplexingly self-defeating and a complete negation of all the objectives earlier canvassed for the setting up of the national carrier. And we have no choice than to call for the outright cancellation of the plan. What we want is a national carrier that will, through hard work, surpass Ethiopian Airlines and compete with other global airlines, and not a shameful appendage of Ethiopian airlines. If Nigeria wishes to join forces with Ethiopia to form a mega African carrier, that would be a noble thing. But then, the two parties should determine the form of partnership in a manner befitting our status, that enhances attainment of our civil aviation objectives and goals, and which does credit to our national pride. The decision to gift our Bilateral Air Services Agreements to Ethiopian Airlines for a mere 5% shareholding in our national carrier beats all reasoning and must be rescinded without argument.”
The unions called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to halt further approvals on the airports concession programme, and indeed any other Aviation Road Map project, pending a comprehensive forensic audit of the projects undertaken up to this point.
“It is our firm belief that such audit will expose the activities so far to be wasteful of public funds, and to be tilted away from national good. This is the least the Council can do in order to redeem itself, in the face of the accusation that the Federal Executive Council has so far been railroaded into giving consent to bad deals for the Country. We call on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and Civil Society Organizations to mobilise all Nigerian workers and the Nigerian people to join in our effort to rescue our common patrimony from the grasp of the powers that be in the aviation industry,” he added.
The unions put on the alert the FAAN staff and pensioners, and indeed the entire aviation workers, “to stand ready for the fight of our lives in defense of our genuine rights and interests, and to save our industry from ruination. All patriotic Nigerians should join this once and for all battle to tell our elected leaders that our national assets do not belong to the few opportune individuals in government and their cronies for them to share and plunder, nor do they have powers to act as they please over national interests without our consent. All firms that are interested in partaking in the opportunities inherent in the Aviation Road Map should tarry a while and not commit their useful funds to the current arrangements in respect of the road map projects. Any firm that chooses to neglect this advice does so at their own peril, for our Unions will do everything rightly possible to ensure that all such unwholesome efforts do not bear fruit until the right things are done.
“Particular reference must be made to the airport concession bidders and those related to Nigeria Air. We are shouting, “buyers beware”. The foregoing give fillip to our firm resolve to defend the rights and interest of our members, safeguard our industry from being led into retrogression, protect national interest against predatory and annihilating tendencies, and ultimately bring about much desirable sanity in our national life. To this end, the airports concessions must be subjected to thorough scrutiny to ensure that all valid interests are protected and that the cause of the nation is properly served.
“The national carrier must be steered away from stunted growth. The proposed national hangar should integrate the Akwa Ibom MRO that has already reached advanced stage, together with other smaller MROs, rather than another grandiose, wasteful startup which has potential for capital flight and emasculation of other outfits. Ditto other aspects of the Aviation Road Map. All in all, the ball is now in the court of the federal Executive Council to make or mar. It is in the hands of FEC to dismantle the anti-Nigeria behemoth called aviation road map. The alternative is to court the angst of Nigerians and sow the seeds of a revolution of a proportion never before witnessed. We are convinced that the Council, being a body of noble Nigerians will do the right thing and call the Minister of Aviation to order. We pray.”
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