The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria has engaged with the Controller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, in resolving the impending aviation workers strike in protest against the conduct of his officers at the Lagos airport.
The branch chairman of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria at FAAN, John Ogbe, disclosed this to our correspondent in an exclusive interview on Monday.
A source at FAAN who doesn’t want her name in print for a lack of authority to speak on the matter told our correspondent that the FAAN MD, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, was also speaking with the office of the National Security Adviser on the development.
Early in March, aviation workers had demanded the removal of the customs controller of the airport command over attacks on airport officials by the operatives.
The inter-agency clashes have become a recurring issue between the FAAN and other agencies operating at the airport, specifically the customs.
In the latest disagreement, officers of the Nigeria Customs allegedly attacked the Director of Aviation Security Services, Igbafe Afegbai at Murtala Muhammed Airport, sparking outrage among the workers against the service.
In a strong-worded statement, three unions, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Air Transport Employees, and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, issued a 14-day ultimatum for the redeployment of Controller Murtala Muhammed Area Command of the customs in charge of Pilgrims and Cargo Terminal, alongside all officers involved in the attack against AVSEC chief.
The unions also called on the Federal Government to redefine customs’ roles within bonded warehouses in civil aviation, saying there was a need for alignment with global standards.
At the expiration of the 14 days, the unions gave another seven-day ultimatum that elapsed on March 31.
Giving an update on the workers’ action, the branch chairman of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria at FAAN told our correspondent that an appeal from the managing director of FAAN forced the unions to give a one-week extension for their demands to be met.
Ogbe told our correspondent that FAAN has also opened an engagement with the Controller General of Customs over the same issues.
He said, “The strike would have started but for an appeal from the MD of FAAN, who told us that she had opened the discussion with the Controller General of Customs over the matter.
“We gave one week again, but this time, we won’t be going back to them before our action. And it was last Thursday that we gave that final extension.”
Our correspondent also gathered that aviation workers are already warming up for the industrial action which, by their latest plan, may commence on Friday.
