February 15, (THEWILL) – Three major aviation unions, comprising National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Association of Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), have raised serious concerns about the unceasing assault and brutality being meted to aviation security personnel of FAAN and other aviation workers by national security personnel serving at Nigerian airports.
In an official statement issued Monday, jointly signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba; Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Comrade Frances Akinjole and Secretary General of ANAP, Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, the unions noted that all recorded assaults by security personnel so far have arisen from forceful entry, or attempted forceful entry, into restricted arears by unauthorised security personnel; leaving attendant FAAN Aviation Security staff brutalised.
The unions therefore, called on the attention of the Honourable Minister of Aviation, the Director General of the NCAA, the Management Director of FAAN, and the Heads of the security agencies at the airports, to put heads together for the purpose of putting an end to assault and brutality against aviation workers,
Noting that FAAN Aviation security personnel, is the most affected, the unions stated; “in the first place, it should be noted that the airports in question are civil, and not military airports, which are under the purview of the regulations of NCAA, and of which aviation security is an important part. This should speak to the manner of inter-relationship of all security agencies at the airports. Considering that all the security agencies perform important functions, no less than the other, we expect that they should all work with mutual respect for each other, instead of the present anachronism.”
“May we, therefore, call on the heads of all security forces at the airports – the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Airforce, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) and any other, to urgently reign in their officers and bring about collaboration and co-operation among themselves in the interest of National Security and the dignity of other civilian colleagues at the airports workplaces”, the unions added.
They warned that, they will no longer tolerate any further assault and brutalisation of their members who are civilian airport workers.
“Should there be another incidence of such, we shall not hesitate to direct withdrawal of all our members from identified danger zones, in which threat to the lives of workers is allowed free reign”, it further stated.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
