FG vows to forestall strikes at airports

The federal government has said it will not allow a repeat of Monday’s strike by aviation unions which grounded activities at key international airports in Abuja and Lagos. The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said this on Wednesday while fielding questions after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi […]

The federal government has said it will not allow a repeat of Monday’s strike by aviation unions which grounded activities at key international airports in Abuja and Lagos.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said this on Wednesday while fielding questions after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The minister said such action was not permitted in the provisions of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Act.

Sirika said: “First, we apologise to them, our teeming passengers in this difficult moment. Secondly, this will not happen in the future by the grace of God. And the reason is simple, aviation is an essential service, the Act has been assented to by Mr. President, so strikes and riots around our airports are prohibited by the laws of the land.”

On Monday, thousands of passengers were stranded nationwide especially at the the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, following the strike by aviation unions protesting poor remuneration by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO).

NAHCO handles many foreign and local airlines including Virgin Nigeria, Ethio­pian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, among others and the local level, it handles Air Peace, Azman, United Nigeria, Dana Airlines, among others.

To forestall this also, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to licence more ground handler businesses to break the seeming monopoly of the two handling companies. 

Sanusi said: “If NAHCO is found guilty of not issuing a NOTAM telling the authorities there is an impending strike in five days there are ways to sanction them, fine them; make them pay for losses and even suspend their licences.

“You can equally identify the people responsible and make them accountable, we have to be accountable for our actions.”

Sanusi insisted the two handling companies have become a monopoly and they should be broken.

 

By Muideen Olaniyi & Abullateef Aliyu (Lagos)