Pius Nsabe
In what appears to be a threat, aviation unions have vowed to halt activities in the nation’s airports from March 31 over the failure to remove a customs officer who allegedly assaulted the Director of Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Three unions made this threat known in a statement on Monday, signed by their leaders, Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, and Abdul Rasaq Saidu.The unions are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
They said they would no longer accept the repeated physical attacks on FAAN personnel, urging the government to immediately reduce the number of customs officers operating in civil aviation to align with global standards.
Considering the enormity and frequency of physical and psychological assault on the staff and management personnel of FAAN, of which there is no end in sight, we are compelled to inform the management of the unwavering determination of our unions to cause the establishment of a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and the security agencies operating at the airport.
Consequential sanctions are in place that guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff. We shall direct all the workers to withdraw from the airports with effect from March 31, 2025, pending when such protocols are established,” the statement reads in part.Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a recent statement on the matter, blamed miscommunication regarding equipment movement and seating arrangements for the clash between officials of FAAN and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)