Union threatens strike as ministry directs FAAN to service $500million Chinese loan

Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has threatened to go on strike should the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) remit all revenue generated from the airports towards the financing of the Chinese $500m loan.

This development is a sequel to the directive issued by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to the regional managers of the four major international airports.

Tribune Online reports that the airports – the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja; Malam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Port Harcourt International Airport – which are the main revenue-generating source for FAAN have been scheduled for a concession by the Federal Government.

Secretary-General of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu said the directive by the ministry will thwart FAAN Management’s efforts at ensuring the payment of workers salaries.

Saidu stated that 80 percent of the revenue generated from the international airports were being used to service the payment of salaries of FAAN workers.

He warned that the labour would go on strike should the revenue be used to service the Chinese loan, stating that it was an attempt to by the minister to cripple the airports ahead of the concession.

While warning that any regional manager who carries out the minister’s directive would be answerable to the unions, the labour leader hinted that the union was yet to see the agreement on the Chinese $500m loan which was granted to the country through the aviation and finance ministries during the tenure of Stella Oduah as the aviation minister.

According to Saidu, the aviation unions at the just concluded public hearing on the civil aviation bills had called on the committee on aviation to order the former aviation minister, Stella Oduah to release documents containing how the loan was obtained.

Hie said: “We cannot wait and watch them turn Nigeria into Chinese slaves. That is the reason we are saying until we see the agreement, nothing should be done on the airport concession.

“We cannot sit down here and see them drag Nigeria into unnecessary debt, we are warning all the regional managers of airports to ignore any directive from the aviation ministry to remit any money to the Chinese account as they will face the wrath of labour.”

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