Sack fever grips aviation workers

Gboyega Adeoye, Lagos - 16.03.2008

There are indications that the government may have concluded plans to carry out a major shake- off in the nation’s aviation sector.

The move, it was learnt, would lead to the exit of about 65 percent current staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) while similar exercise was expected to cut across other aviation agencies.

Secretary General of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) ,who disclosed this to Sunday Tribune, said the move was an off shoot of the recent governmental decision to conceed out major business activities at four major airports across the country.

Minister of State for Transportation, Felix Hyat, had recently declared government’s intention to conceed out major business activities in Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano , Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Port Harcourt Airport.

The concession of these four major airports to private handlers, according to Ogbuji, may be a possible climax for the viability of the FAAN which he said was currently relying on these four viable airports to service about 18 other unviable ones.

He expressed regrets that FAAN which laid off over 1000 staff less than two years ago and had been unable to pay their pension arrears, is embarking on a similar exercise that would further throw away some of its experts.

“The sad thing about the whole exercise which ‘’started like a rumour before it is now confirmed is the fate of our members that are going to be affected. Remember that over 1000 of them were affected in the retrenchment exercise that was carried out about two years ago and up till now, their pension arrears have not been paid,’ Ogbuji said.

According to him, no less than 5000 workers have been penciled down for retrenchment in the impending exercise which is expected to cut across all aviation agencies.

Agencies to be affected include FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.