Aviation unions picket FAAN over proposed concession of four major airports.

 

 

Chinazor Megbolu   |  

 

Aviation unions in the country have picketed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters in Lagos over the proposed concessioning of the four major airports in the country.

 

The protest, which took place on Monday, saw the union members shutting the headquarters of the airport authority in Lagos.

 

Reports have it that protests started as early as 6 am while the angry protesters prevented the security agents manning the different gates into the FAAN office amongst other offices from their duties.

 

The union members, however, chained and padlocked all the gates, prevented anyone from entry.

 

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) members were gathered by the leaders and explained to them on why the picketing took place.

 

The Secretary-General, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba in his speech, told members the concession initiative won’t favour the workers but would only impoverish them with the anticipated job loses if the concession is allowed to take off.

 

He pointed out the process of the concessioning the four airports had not been transparent.

 

Meanwhile, the Chairman ATSSSAN, FAAN Branch, Comrade Ahmed Danjuma during the protest, noted the concession is a one-man project by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, stating the planned concession was being done clandestinely in connivance with the Infrastructure, Concession Regulatory Commission, (ICRC).

 

In the course of the protest, the FAAN workers displayed placards with different inscriptions such as; selective concessions ploy to destroy FAAN,

airports concession is a crime against Nigerians, FAAN Workers have been patient enough, FG please resolve MM2 concession among others.

 

Others include; FAAN pay our pension liability, job losses loom in the aviation industry.

 

Moreover, the workers and members of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also joined in matching out into the airport roads, chanting solidarity songs against the airport concession.

 

The picketing action created traffic gridlock in the area as the airport police of the command, manned the venue towards ensuring law and order.