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BY CHINELO OBOGO
For decades, various sectors of the Nigerian economy, especially the safety-critical aviation industry, have grappled with complex employee challenges.
These longstanding issues are now amplified by the current economic crisis. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), like many others, faces critical challenges due to poor remuneration, which Stanley Ofulue, who was recently elected chairman of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), NCAA chapter, said has led to the exodus of its most skilled personnel, particularly in technical departments. These valuable employees are frequently poached by airlines offering significantly higher salaries.
He told Daily Sun that this trend, further fueled by the “japa” syndrome (mass emigration of skilled professionals), was concerning. “We lose these colleagues frequently to the airlines, whose pay is better than that of the regulator. We have also lost them to the ‘japa’ syndrome. It is pertinent to bring to the notice of the government that the aviation workers, especially NCAA’s take home rarely take them home. Successive managements of NCAA and Ministers of Aviation pay lip service to the several demands of the unions in the agency, not bearing in mind that a disgruntled workforce is a potential accident waiting to happen.
“Promotion of NCAA staff has been a recurrent issue that has given our past and present leaders sleepless night and I think with a robust and more engaging rapport, the new management would be more sensitive in seeing good reasons to clear the hurdles inhibiting career progressions and promotions of our people. The seeming stagnation imbroglio is causing mental tension to these prospective beneficiaries, the long run effects should not be imagined. This inhibition of the career progressions of workers would continue until the management will look inward and start promoting members of staff to the position of deputy general managers, general managers and directors as well as expand the organogram to accommodate prospective managers.
“The idea of importing of managers and directors to take up vacant positions should be reduced to the barest minimum to encourage and motivate those who have paid their dues in the system. Having said this, I want to applaud the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo as well as our acting Director General, Capt, Chris Najomo, for bringing in some of the industry people into the management, and so much more needs to be done and maintained for the health of the organisation and the industry at large,” he said.
Ofulue said the rising costs of transportation, pose a significant challenge for the agency’s staff and that the union would engage with management to address this issue, aiming to reinstate the defunct staff-shuttle bus scheme to provide affordable transportation and mitigate rising fuel costs. He said with many workers unable to afford fueling their vehicles, this service is becoming increasingly vital.
He also said that housing allowances for staff, particularly those stationed in major cities like Abuja and Lagos, are inadequate and fail to reflect current market realities and to address this, the union will push for a reviewed housing allowance that aligns with the true cost of living.
“Increased cost of transportation apparently occasioned by the hike in the price of petroleum products resulting from the purported fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government is another big challenge. The present union hopes to engage the management on the need to address this. We shall work with the management to ensure that the defunct staff-shuttle bus scheme is reinstated to resume the conveyance of staff to and from office, at least to ameliorate and cushion the effect of the transportation challenge. Most workers cannot afford to fuel their vehicles with the prevalent prices of petroleum products.
“The Union would also press the need for a reviewed housing allowance in line with present reality. Many members of staff live more than 30km away from the office, in the suburbs and hamlets just to be able to afford rents with the meagre housing allowances handed to them. Many, who could afford to build, have theirs in villages of Ogun State, where they have to travel over 50km daily to come to work. We intend to have a robust engagement with our management to assist the workers with sufficient staff quarters or think of mortgage scheme. A lot of staff retire from service without owning personal apartments because they couldn’t afford it,” he said.
