Unions shut FAAN, protest concession

The unions in aviation made good their promise to protest concession of four major airports across the country as they embarked on mass protest.

As early as 7 am, workers warmed up for the strike action as they down tools to press home their demand that the aerodromes should not be concessioned.

Leaders of the four unions, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) gathered the staff to address them on why the unions have taken the action.

After the series of solidarity songs, the Secretary-General, NUATE, Ocheme Aba while addressing the workers said, the concession project would not favour the workers instead it would further impoverished them with the anticipated job losses if the concession was allowed to succeed.

He emphasized that the process had not been transparent since the process started.

Chairman ATSSSAN FAAN branch, Ahmed Danjuma described the concession as a one-man project by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

According to him, the planned concession was being facilitated clandestinely in connivance with the Infrastructure, Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

Abdulrazak Saidu scribe also stated that the concession so far embarked on in the industry had been marred by controversies.

After the address, the FAAN workers carried placards with different inscriptions that read: airports concession is a crime against Nigerians, selective concessions plot to destroy FAAN, FAAN Workers have been patient enough, job losses loom in the aviation industry.

Others are: FAAN pay our pension liability, FG please resolve MM2 concession among others.

With the placards, the workers and members of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress matched out of the freedom square venue of the address into the airport roads in a procession chanting solidarity songs in protest against the airport concession.

This led to traffic gridlock in and out of the airport environment as Officers of the airport police command were deployed to ensure law and order in the area.

The protest went on simultaneously across airports in the country.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the plans by the Federal Government to Concession the major Airports in the country.

The NLC therefore calls on the Federal Government to desist from further contemplation, discussions and arrangements to concession the international airports.

Wabba in a statement says, the unwholesome and unpatriotic attitude of giving away prized national property to private sector operatives is not only unjust and immoral.

He states that the plan is also in ultra-violation of Chapter 2, Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the Fundamental Objectives and the Directive Principles of State Policy which states that the Nigerian government must manage and operate the major sectors of the economy and ensure that that the economy is not operated to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group.

The NLC President adds that the entire Nigerian working class will resist any attempt to unilaterally concession any of the public airports.

“Thus undermine the directive principles and fundamental objectives of our national constitution which is actually the fulcrum upon which our collective identity and aspiration rests.”

“We will not give up or surrender public assets to a few well-connected Nigerians, regardless of how powerful they may think they are.”

Wabba said there is no compelling reason for the Federal Government to gift away its national airports to private companies to manage.

He said that once public workers are properly motivated, trained and given the enabling work environment, there is no limits to what they can achieve, and once government is committed to allowing the professionals do their job without undue interference and ensure optimum maintenance standards especially by enforcing standards in the public procurement process, the workers are more than capable to maintain and manage our national assets.

Wole Shadare