By Chukwuma Umeorah
The Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) have expressed concerns over poor management of the aviation industry owing to the lack of governing board of directors in parastatals agencies for over 7 years.
ANAP made this call on Wednesday as it the president of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero and a team of national executives at the office of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Lagos.
According to the ANAP’s General Secretary, Saidu Rasaq, the absence of a properly constituted governing board in all parastatals of the industry had created a lot of avoidable challenges which has had a negative effect on welfare of workers, efficiency of airline operators and other major aviation stakeholders.
Rasaq noted that the issue had been presented before the national assembly which confronted the Minister of Aviation, but he claimed that there was an interim board overseeing their operations. However, ANAP lamented that the board made up of only the Minister, permanent secretary and Chief executive of the board was wrong in its operation as it does not comply with the Act guiding their establishment.
“The existence of an interim board made up of just three people cannot ensure proper checks and balance. This does not exist in the Act guiding these parastatals. It has given the ministry the undue advantage of running the parastatals based on one-man decision.”
“We declare that all the activities and projects executed under this interim board are illegal, and thereby rendered null and void. This has affected the progress of aviation workers and the industry at large,” he added.
Rasaq also expressed concerns over concessioning of five major international airports and the demolition of office buildings of FAAN, NAMA and others in Lagos for the airport city project called Aerotropolis and the fear of the minister illegalizing unions in the sector which he feared would lead to the massive layoff of workers.
Further explaining how poorly managed the industry was, he lamented that for over 7 years, there has been no approved Condition of Service.
The president of NLC, Joe Ajaero while addressing the concerns expressed disappointment over the absence of a properly constituted Board of Directors in the different agencies which he noted was the cause of some irregularities in the sector like the appointment of some persons from outside the aviation industry to head some directorates thereby hindering the growth of career civil servants in the sector.”
On the issue of concessioning, he allayed the fears of the union saying, “I don’t think anyone can concession here without paying entitlement. Anybody that takes over this place as a concessionaire is spending money for nothing. We have passed through privatization and so we know how it works and we know the dangers, so they are joking”
He also spoke on the issue of the Minister of Aviation speaking about illegalizing the unions in aviation describing it as a joke noting that he has no such powers as that cannot be done without following due process.
The NLC President reiterated his support for the unions in the sector but noted that most of the issues raised would have been resolved with the existence of a proper board. “All these issues would have been addressed by the board assuming it was in place.”