By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday asks the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to stop forthwith, the planned demolition of the offices of aviation agencies in Lagos, pending the outcome of the intervention being made by its Committee on Aviation.
The Senate resolution followed a motion moved by Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South).
It was titled: Urgent Need for a Senate Intervention on the intending warning strike by aviation unions.
The Federal Government and Aviation workers have been at loggerheads over the plan to demolish the Lagos office complexes of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The agencies have been asked to relocate to Abuja as new headquarters, but the unions said staff who had relocated are yet to be paid.
The agencies’ unions have been embarking on warning strikes to protest their displeasure with the Ministry’s action.
Olujimi in the motion called the attention of the Senate to intend a warning strike by the Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers, among others.
She noted that the strikes have become too many and too frequent to be let low as issues in contention are not new some of which according to her, has lingered for over eight years with several agreements signed between the unions and government but not honoured.
The Senator stated that the continuous threats of outright demolition of the aviation agencies (FAAN, NCAA, and NAMA headquarters) in Lagos by the Ministry without making reasonable provisions for befitting alternative offices, is making the affected unions fight back through strike actions.
She, therefore, urged the Senate to intervene in the matter by mandating its committee to interface with all stakeholders for a possible way out of the crisis.
After an exhaustive debate on the motion, the Senate mandated its committee on Aviation, chaired by Senator Olujimi, to organise round table discussions with all parties involved in the crisis.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said, “The Aviation being the face of the country, must not be allowed to run into crisis.
“Our committee should intensify efforts towards nipping in the bud any action that may result into strike action by the aviation unions and also, prevent the unions from embarking on any strike.”
