Article summary
- The MD of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, has criticized the NLC for disrupting aviation activities at the Lagos airport.
- Yadudu insisted that the action of the NLC undermined the aviation industry and exposed it to ridicule in the international community, warning that such “mob action” by NLC or anyone else would no longer be tolerated.
- Yadudu further revealed that aviation stakeholders have written a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Aviation, seeking security protection from such a dastardly act by the NLC in the future.
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu has kicked severely against last week’s disruption of aviation activities by some officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), over their misunderstanding with the Imo State Government.
Yadudu stated this yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos when the House Committee on Aviation toured the Ajao Estate Area of the airport for the on-the-spot assessment of the demolition exercise that recently took place there.
He described the strike action as ego-tripping, warning that such “mob action” by NLC or anyone else would no longer be tolerated.
He also recalled that the Federal Government had classified the aviation industry as one of the essential services in the country with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act 2022. He then wondered how the fiasco, which occurred in Imo State, could be linked to the aviation industry by the labour leaders.
Mitigative actions taken
In a bid to prevent such a breakdown of law and order in the sector in the future, Yadudu revealed that the stakeholders had written a strongly worded letter to the Ministry of Aviation, seeking security protection from such a dastardly act by the NLC.
Yadudu insisted that the action of the NLC undermined the aviation industry and exposed it to ridicule in the international community, advising the NLC to take a cue from their counterparts outside the country.
Yadudu explained that the world has gone beyond the picketing of organisations by the labour to press home their demands. He said:
- “It is very disappointing, especially given the fact that the NLC acted in clear disregard with impunity. They wrote to us that their people in aviation should come and picket the Lagos airport and they should not allow flights to go to Owerri Airport because their members were harassed by the Imo State Government.
- “They deliberately planned that action just to massage their ego. It has nothing to do with staff, workers or even the aviation industry and Nigeria. For any organisation that is licensed by the government to behave in personal interest and not national interest, it is unfortunate.
- “It has nothing to do with labours or workers in Nigeria. In fact, they undermined aviation and other workers because people lost their flights. I pray no one dies. The more you distress aviation, the more you are creating vulnerability for uncertainty.
- “Second reason, it is illegal. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Act has put aviation as an essential service and in essential services, there is no room for picketing or blocking of operations because all Nigerians need it.
- “The NLC themselves, I don’t think they are up to 200 million and Nigeria has a population of 200 million. So, they should not come and massage their ego at the airport where it is already prohibited by law.”
Warning to the NLC
He urged NLC and its officials to steer clear of aviation activities, maintaining that the sector required stakeholders’ confidence to blossom and commended the aviation unions for distancing themselves from the action.
His comments on the demolitions at Ajao Estate
On the demolition of 13 houses at Runway View Estate at Ajao Estate, recently by the Lagos State Government, Yadudu insisted that the structures were illegally constructed, while several notices had been issued to the illegal occupiers since 2015.
He maintained that the action of FAAN was for the safety and security of lives and equipment, adding that the structures were constructed on pipelines that could explode at any time.
In his comment, Hon. Ifeanyi Momah, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Investigation of the demolished buildings, said the committee would revert to the house its findings to the House of Representatives.
- “We came on the spot assessment after the session that we had with the management team of FAAN. The committee will make its position known officially to the public in due course. The committee will address the media on some of the lingering issues,” he said.
In case you missed it
The officials of the NLC had stormed the Lagos airport last week to stop airlines from airlifting air travellers out of the airport to other cities, primarily to Owerri, claiming that its May Day celebration in Owerri was truncated by the Imo State Government.
Air Peace Airline, which operates scheduled daily flights to Owerri claimed that the action of the labour affected its operations for that day.
According to the airline, about 110 of its flights would be affected, while no fewer than N400 million was lost to the fiasco.
