Aviation workers may disrupt flight Monday, allege assault by Customs
Aviation unions have threatened to close airports nationwide starting March 31 if a customs officer who assaulted the director of aviation security at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is not removed.
In a statement signed on Monday by Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, and Abdul Rasaq Saidu, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals condemned the repeated physical assaults on FAAN personnel, stating they would no longer tolerate such incidents.
The unions also called on the government to immediately reduce the number of customs officers operating in civil aviation, in line with global standards.
The statement reads, “Considering the enormity and frequency of physical and psychological assault on the staff and management personnel of FAAN, of which there is no end in sight, we are compelled to inform the management of the unwavering determination of our unions to cause the establishment of a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and the security agencies operating at the airports.
“Consequential sanctions are in place which guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff. We shall direct all the workers to withdraw from the airports with effect from March 31, 2025, pending when such protocols are established.
“The recent assault on no less a personality than the Director of Aviation Security of FAAN is one too many, which leaves a taste too bitter to swallow. It is our sincere hope that our demand in the above respect is well met to avoid the industrial conflagration that will ensue in the absence of acceptable remedial actions.”
Meanwhile, Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada recently stated that the disagreement between FAAN officials and NCS officers stemmed from a miscommunication about equipment movement and seating arrangements.
