Unions shut NCAA over sack fear, new organogram

• Allege situation promotes job racketeering, secret employment
• Want aviation board inaugurated

For more than four hours, aviation unions shut down the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Aviation (NCAA) over what the four unions in the aviation industry described as backwardness of new organogram they said does not encourage career progression, redundancy and loss of jobs.

Consequently, the unions comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) issued a seven day ultimatum to NCAA to reverse its position.

The organogram of the NCAA was developed in the year 2000 when the Authority started operations.

 The call for the review of the organogram by the unions became strong when in 2017 when some workers of the authority could not be promoted due to lack of vacancies.

 According to the President, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN), Illitrus Ahmadu it was later discovered that the organogram needed to be reviewed so that staff could be promoted.

 It would be recalled that a ministerial committee was set up in this regard, sat with the internal stakeholders including the unions to discuss the grey areas and it was alleged that after many meetings, a new organogram was put together to the satisfaction of all parties and sent to the interim board comprising the Minister of state, aviation, permanent secretary in the Ministry and the Director General, NCAA due to the absence of board of directors.

 The ATSSSAN President said to their surprise, what came back was totally different from what was sent to them.

 At the resumption of work in the New Year 2019, leaders of the unions in the NCAA gathered during a   prayer session and threatened to shut down the agency if nothing was done to address the matter.

 The unions justified their actions saying it was in solidarity with other parastatal unions for proper organogram from the one that discourages career progression among others as well as alleged secret employment racketeering into the organisation that contradicts and endangers the nations category one aviation status..

They alleged there maybe mass sack in the agency over the newly approved organogram that was not in the interest of the workers.

Speaking after a joint congress of the four unions at the NCAA headquarters, the General secretary Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Abdulrasaq Saidu explained: “There are three major issues and that is why we have issued the NCAA seven days ultimatum first, the NCAA and other aviation parastatals do not have a governing boards inaugurated by the Ministry and this is in violation of the Presidential directive and breeds corruption.

“Secondly, the organogram of the NCAA is tampered with as it has expanded and you cannot combine two directives and worse still the aviation industry has been flooded with faulty recruitment. That is employment racketeering and this is threatening aviation category one status

Also, General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Ocheme Aba said the merger and fusion of directorates and departments were in violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act.

Wole Shadare