Aviation unions have threatened to shut down airports across the country from March 31 over failure to remove a customs officer who assaulted the director of aviation security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), in a statement signed by Ocheme Aba and Frances Akinjole, and Abdul Rasaq Saidu, said they would no longer accept the repeated physical attacks on FAAN personnel.
The unions also urged the government to immediately reduce the numbers of customs officers operating in civil aviation as obtained globally, reports Vanguard.
The statement reads: “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 airports.
“Consequential sanctions are in place which 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 recent assault on no less a personality than the Director of Aviation Security of FAAN is one too many, which leaves a taste too bitter to swallow. It is our sincere hope that our demand in the above respect is well met to avoid the industrial conflagration that will ensue in the absence of acceptable remedial actions.”
Meanwhile, spokesperson for Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a recent statement, had said a miscommunication regarding equipment movement and seating arrangements resulted in the disagreement between officials of FAAN and officers of the NCS.
