Controversy trailing the aerotropolis project of the minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika as his tenure draws to an end is getting more complicated as the president of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ben Nnabue revealed that the planned aerotropolis project only covers the NnamdiAzikwe International Airport but does not cover the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.
He dropped the bombshell while reacting to the minister’s plan to demolish the Lagos head offices of the aviation agencies to pave the way for the aerotropolis project.
Nnabue who said he was part of the airport committee where the issue of the aerotropolis was discussed, insisted that it was the Abuja airport that was captured in the aerotropolis project, warning that government should not to hide under it to demolish the FAAN headquarters.
Nnabue who said it will be unfair for government to demolish the structures however, called on every worker to resist such move, stating that under the labour law it was stipulated that the organisation must give workers tools to work and work to do.
His words: “We can not watch anybody or group of people coming here on a business trend to remove them from their offices. We heard sometimes last year that they will also concession the old general aviation terminal of Abuja Airport and that is where the MD of FAAN has his office meaning they want to concession the office of the MD and come to demolish the one in Lagos again.
Invariably, we don’t have office.”
The union leader while arguing that there was nobody who want Nigeria to progress that will welcome the action of the minister, referred the minister to the available fertile areas where such new buildings can be cited such as Shashaand Ejigbo areas instead of demolishing FAAN and other agencies’ headquarters because of the construction of shopping malls.
He challenged the government to give account on what he has done with the money so far generated by the aviation agencies even as he declared that FAAN had the capacity to build edifice for its workers adding that parastatals should be allowed to run their programmes.
While citing how nothing has been done on the former AIB office that was demolished in Lagos, he warned the minister not take the unions for granted as theyhave been very peaceful.
Speaking on the non-composition of Boards of directors for the aviation agencies in the past eight years, the NUATE president accused the minister of running a one-man show.
He used the opportunity to lament how workers in the agencies have been working on expired conditions of service just as he called on the government to settle all labour issues especially the constitution of board of directors of aviation agencies and conditions of service of workers.
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