Tension in aviation sector - Over FG’s plan to sell 4 airports

Gboyega Adeoye, Lagos - 05.03.2008

WORKERS of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have been gripped with panic over the proposed sale of four international airports by the Fedral Government. Minister of State for Air Transportation, Felix Hyat, had disclosed government’s intention to hand over the running of four international airports in the country to private individuals.

The minister said the intention was aimed at improving facilities at the airports for the comfort of air passengers. The development has laid to rest the aviation workers’ speculation about two weeks ago about the government’s plan to sell about six international airports in the country.

The speculation had led to protests to resist the move, culminating in a series of campaigns to mobilise workers to kick against the action. When it became clear that there was such a plan on Tuesday, a series of meetings were held by workers’ leaders to strategise on how to thwart the government’s move.

Already, a rally has been fixed for today to protest the proposed privatisation of the four airports with the industry labour leaders vowing to ensure that the move did not sail through. Assistant Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Abdul Kareem Motajo, told the Nigerian Tribune about the intention of workers to embark on a protest to condemn the move to privatise the airports today.

According to him, the move, which became condemnable as a result of government’s failure to consider the interest of the workers before embarking on it, would be resisted.