NAAAPE to partner NAFSA on safety 

By Chinelo Obogo            

National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Nigeria Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA) are partnering to ensure safety and share ideas on critical issues in the Nigerian aviation Industry

This is just as the unions have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at  a date that would be agreed on by the two parties .

The professional unions disclosed this at  NAAPE’s secretariat in Lagos when NAFSA  executive paid  NAAPE  a partnership  visit.

Speaking during the visit, the President of NAAPE, Abednego Galadima who led the body to receive the visiting NASFA exco thanked the visitors for the visit , adding that NAAPE values the services the association provides for the aviation sector especially for pilots and engineers.

Galadima urged the NAFSA officials to feel free to state what the association is doing and how NAAPE can come in and partner with NAFSA.

The NAAPE President pointed out that as a professional body, the union protects the interest of its members in particular and also promotes safety and growth in the aviation sector in general. Aviation, he said is a safety driven sector, adding that with collaboration aviation would further be enhanced.

 “In the labour movement, we believe the more we are, the merrier. Aviation is a safety critical industry and team work is very important. We have collaborated with NATCA and as a result we have NAAPE-NATCA forum where we share ideas on how to move the industry forward.

“Now that NAFSA want to also collaborate with us, we welcome you with open arm. Even if we have to sign an MoU on critical issues, we are ready.

“We are  unions who support companies to grow not to pull down organisations. We are in the union to protect the interest of our members,” he reiterated.

For his part, President of NAFSA,  Sunday Ugbeikun, said that though not all the members of the executive are attending the collaborative meeting, they are fully aware of the  meeting with NAAPE.

He added that in subsequent meetings, NAFSA will be attending in its full strength.

Ugbeikun disclosed that NAFSA has its secretariat in Lagos but that the association has its branches in all the airports in the country .

NAFSA, he said, is saddled with the responsibility of collaborating, liaising, cooperating and encouraging the relevant authorities in the aviation industry.

“We know what we are doing and we know we can always do better with the collaboration with NAAPE because we are service driven but unfortunately most people at the leadership positions are not service driven,” he said.

He pointed out that no government or entity can establish an airport without the services of NAAPE, NATCA and NAFSA.

Ugbeikun noted that aviation business is collaborative one and that no one professional union can do it alone, hence the meeting today with NAAPE having met with NATCA previously.

According to him, “We cannot pursue the course of our members without the assistance of these unions .The collaboration is to support; partner more to move the industry forward.”